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LEGENDS 

OF 

SWITZERLAND 



Legends of the Virgin and Christ 
Legends of the Rhine 
Legends of the Middle Ages 
Stories of the Wagner Operas 
Stories of Famous Operas 
Myths of Greece and Rome 
Myths of Northern Lands 

$1.50 per volume 



i f I I f i| 




\H. L 



COATS OF ARMS OF THE SWISS CANTONS. 



LEGENDS 

OF 

SWITZERLAND 



BY 

H. A. GUERBER 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS 



NEW YORK 
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 
1899 



Copyright, 1899, 
By Dodd, Mead and Company. 



All rights reserved. 
TWO COPIES RECEIVED. 




SECOND COPY = 

• John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S. 



DEDICATED 

TO 

SWITZERLAND 

IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF HAPPY SUMMERS SPENT 
WITHIN ITS BORDERS 



PREFACE 



SIDE from the picturesque, historicai, and 



geological interest connected with a 
journey in Switzerland, that country also boasts 
of a rich fund of legends, delightfully character- 
istic of the people at whose firesides they have 
been told for centuries. 

The grand scenery, terrific storms, sudden 
earthquakes, landslides and avalanches, together 
with the barbaric invasions and fierce wars 
which have swept over it for thousands of years, 
have all left their indelible stamp, not only upon 
the face of nature, but also in the imagination 
and folklore of the people. 

In varying keys, and touching upon many 
chords and themes, these legends refer to saints 
and to sinners, to heathen gods, giants, ghosts, 
dwarfs. Devil, and fairies, as well as to kings 
and queens, knights and ladies, monks and nuns. 




viii 



Preface 



besides dwelling particularly upon shepherds, 
pastures, cattle, and game. 

The rustic crudity of some of these tales, the 
mediaeval halo of romance around others, added 
to the poetic subtle charms of a few, have been 
rendered as faithfully as possible, to enable the 
reader to gain a nearer insight into the life and 
thoughts of the sturdy race which has established 
the most lasting republic in modern Europe. 

Life-long familiarity with the official languages, 
some knowledge of the peculiar dialects, to- 
gether with prolonged sojourns in the country, 
and diligent study of its principal works on 
national folklore, have enabled the writer to 
collect these legends, some of which are now 
laid before the English-speaking public for the 
first time. 

Trusting they may enhance the pleasure of a 
trip to Switzerland for all those who have the 
good fortune to enjoy one, remind former 
travellers of matchless scenes, and amuse and 
interest even stay-at-homes, this book is sent 
out into the world with the sincere hope that 
it may meet with a kindly welcome. 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Legends of Geneva i 

Legends of Vaud and Valais 6 

Fribourg 69 

Legends of Neuchatel , 79 

Bern 97 

Legends of Soleure 140 

Basel 147 

Aargau 158 

The Forest Cantons 176 

Tessin 238 

Schaffhausen 242 

Legends of Zurich 248 

Legends of Zug 261 

Thurgau 270 

St. Gall and Appenzell 274 

Glarus and Grisons 281 



Index 



303 




I 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



COATS-OF-ARMS OF THE SwiSS CaNTONS, WITH 

Cantonal Beadles in Traditional Cos- 
tume (in color) ......... Frontispiece 

Face page 

Lake of Geneva, with Dent du Midi ... 2 

The Migration of the Herds 8 

Alpine Fay , . 38 

The Mist Nymph c , , . 44 

The Wild Hunt 100 

The Old St, Christopher Tower ..... 106 

The Giessbach 122 

Grindelwald 132 

The Jungfrau 136 

The Spalenthor, Basel 148 

The Oath on the Rutli 184 

Tell answers Gessler 188 

Lucerne, with Mt. Pilatus 196 

The Rigi 214 

The Devil's Bridge 236 

The Falls of the Rhine 242 

Charlemagne and the Serpent 250 



Legends of Switzerland 



LEGENDS OF GENEVA 

'T^HE crescent-shaped Leman, or Lake of 
Geneva, the largest and bluest of all the 
Swiss lakes, has been sung by all the poets and 
praised by every writer who has had the good 
fortune to behold it in its native splendour. 

The fertile slopes on the northern bank, the 
charming resorts and drives to the east and 
south, and the glorious view of Mont Blanc, 
in Savoy, as seen from Geneva itself, bewitch 
all those who are privileged to enjoy them. 
Countless steamboats and sailboats are con- 
stantly plying to and fro over the lake, and stop- 
ping at picturesque points along the shore, 
whence delightful excursions can be made either 
among rich pastures, orchards, and vineyards, 
or up into the mountains from which, rippling 
and roaring, torrents and streams pour down to 
fill the basin of this beautiful lake. The most 
picturesque craft on the Lake of Geneva are 
I 



2 Legends of Switzerland 



the lateen-sailed market-boats, hovering like 
birds over waters whose colour reminds one of 
the Mediterranean, the only other body of 
water in Europe where such vessels are fre- 
quently seen. 

A legend claims that in olden times a fairy 
boat of this peculiar shape was often seen flit- 
ting from point to point along the shores of 
Lake Leman. Its sails catching every gleam 
of golden light, it shone like the face of the 
new moon in a summer sky. Drawn by eight 
large snow-white swans, it glided gently over 
the waters, to the song both weird and sweet 
of these graceful birds, accompanied by the 
thrilling chords of a harp touched by the invis- 
ible fingers of the Spirit of the Winds. 

Standing by the mast of this ship, was a tall 
woman of dazzling beauty, whose golden locks 
streamed out in the breeze, while the sunset 
flush on the snow-mountains seemed no more 
delicate than the bloom on her dainty cheeks. 
Clad in flowing robes of purest white, she stood 
there, smiling gently at countless winged and 
chubby sprites, hovering around her like butter- 
flies about a rose, and scattering handfuls of 
flowers and fruit at her feet. 

It is said that wherever the fairy ship touched 
the shore, the soil bore flowers and fruit in 



Legends of Geneva 3 



abundance, and any one who was so fortunate 
as to catch a glimpse of the lucky vessel was 
sure of the fulfilment of any desire, expressed 
or unexpressed. Even when buried so deep in 
the hidden recesses of the heart that the owner 
was scarcely conscious of its existence, the 
fairy's melting blue eyes were sure to discover 
this wish, and her heart was so tender that, once 
discovered, she could not but grant it. 

The fairy skiff of Lake Geneva haunted its 
shores for many years, and might still be seen 
there, had not the giant swans been frightened 
away by the puffing and snorting steamboats 
which furrow the blue waves. None but the 
oldest inhabitants ever mention this ship, of 
which they caught fleeting glimpses in their 
early youth, when they sat by the lakeside dur- 
ing the long moonlight nights, in hopes of se- 
curing the realization of their dearest hopes. 

But the luck-ship figures not only in the tales 
told by the peasants around the fireside during 
the long winter evenings ; it is also often seen 
in effigy upon Genevan holiday and birthday 
cards. Then " Good Luck," or ^' Happy New 
Year," is inscribed across the wing-like lateen 
sails, and such a card is supposed to bring the 
happy recipient as much good fortune as an actual 
glimpse of the swan-drawn vessel of mythic fame. 



4 Legends of Switzerland 



An interesting old legend is connected with 
the church of Ste. Marie Madeleine in Geneva, 
and with a local yearly festival celebrated there 
on the twenty-second of July. 

In the days when the Madeleine church was 
founded, Geneva, after having been the main 
stronghold of the Allobroges before Christ, and 
a Roman camp from the days of Caesar until the 
fifth century, was the capital of a Burgundian 
kingdom. The Christians in that part of the 
country, desirous of building a church where 
they could worship God, selected a site just 
outside of the city fortifications, and then 
began to solicit contributions on all sides. 

In those days there dwelt in Geneva a very 
good and pious girl, noted far and wide for her 
deftness in spinning, and for the unusual beauty 
and fineness of her thread. As soon as this 
virtuous maiden heard that funds were needed 
for a church to be dedicated to her patron saint, 
she made a solemn vow to consecrate to that 
good purpose all the thread she could spin, and 
immediately set to work. 

From early morn until far into the night, 
Madeleine now spun on unweariedly, selling 
skein after skein of thread to purchase stones 
and mortar for the new building. As is always 
the case, the zeal and gifts of many of the 



Legends of Geneva 



5 



Christians soon ebbed, but Madeleine twirled 
her distaff faster and faster, working without 
respite day after day, to make up for all de- 
ficiencies. 

The workmen, who contributed their labour, 
soon depended upon her alone for materials, 
and fearing lest her strength or courage should 
fail before the church was finished, they called 
out to her every time they passed her house 
to keep up a good heart and work on. This 
cry,— 

" Tiens bon, Marie Madeleine, 
Tiens bon, Marie Madelon ! " 

was taken up by all the Christians in town, 
and now forms the refrain of a song sung at 
Geneva's yearly festival. 

Thus encouraged, Marie Madeleine went on 
spinning until the building was completed, and 
as most of the stones were purchased with the 
proceeds of her industry, the workmen carved 
spindles and spinning-wheels all over the church. 
On the festival of Ste. Marie Madeleine, illumi- 
nations and processions are the order of the day 
in Geneva, and the statue of a spinner is carried 
along all the principal streets of the town, to 
the rhythmic chant of the old distich, which 
commemorates alike the maiden's piety and 
her extreme diligence. 



LEGENDS OF VAUD AND VALAIS 



ATE in the spring, when the grazing down 



' in the valley is pretty well exhausted, 
farmers in Switzerland are wont to drive their 
cows up to the mountain pastures, which by 
this time are all covered with luxuriant grass 
and gemmed with dainty wild-flowers. The 
day set for the departure of the cattle is always 
a gala day. The people, dressed in their Sun- 
day best, assemble in the villages through which 
the herds must pass, to exchange merry jests 
with the herdsmen, bid them God speed, and 
admire the fat sleek cows, wearing around their 
necks bells of different sizes and varying tones. 

The head herdsman proudly walks in front 
of his cattle, wearing a bunch of gay ribbons or 
of fresh flowers in his hat or cap. His blue 
cloth coat, with its short sleeves, sets ofl" a 
dazzlingly white shirt of coarse linen, and his 
costume is completed by knee-breeches, thick 
woollen stockings, and shoes whose soles are 
elaborately studded with bright nails. This 
man carries a bag full of salt, and an umbrella 




Legends of Vaud and Valais 7 

slung across his back ; and from time to time, as 
he strides joyfully ahead of the herd, he offers 
a handful of salt to the foremost cows. Lean- 
ing on his stout staff, he sturdily climbs the 
mountain, giving vent to those long-drawn 
musical-cries known as " huch^es " or " jodels,'' 
according to the section of the country in 
which they are heard. 

Close behind the herdsman comes the bull, 
with a ring in his nose, or a fine cow, the queen 
and leader of the cattle. Conscious of the hon- 
our of wearing the largest and deepest-toned 
bell, this animal steps proudly along, tossing a 
shapely head decked with bunches of bright 
flowers on either horn, and between them rests 
the milking-stool, a sign of particular distinction. 

Cow after cow slowly files past, greeted by 
calls and loving pats from proud owners, and 
amid the tinkling of bells, the trample of hoofs, 
the lowing of kine, and the cheers of the people 
sound the resonant cracks of the herdsmen's 
whips, which they snap incessantly to show their 
proficiency in that greatly admired branch of 
their calling. 

The sight of such a herd going up the moun- 
tain invariably reminds the old people of happy 
summers long gone by, and while sitting on the 
benches in front of their stone or wooden houses 



8 



Legends of Switzerland 



at twilight, they entertain the younger genera- 
tion with reminiscences of the joyful past, and 
a regretful sigh always heaves their aged breasts 
when they finally mention the Golden Age of 
Switzerland. 

According to tradition, this v/as the time 
when none of the mountains — not even the 
highest — were ever veiled in cold mists, or 
covered with ice and snow. Neither were 
there any barren and rocky heights such as we 
see now. Luxuriant grass grew all the way up 
the steepest slopes, carpeting even the topmost 
ridges, and the climate was so genial that 
cattle dotted the hillside pastures during nine 
or ten months of the year. The cows were 
then far larger and fatter than any we see now, 
and their milk was so abundant that they were 
milked thrice a day into huge ponds, or tanks, 
where the herdsmen went about in skiffs to do 
the skimming. 

One of these men is said to have once lost 
his balance and fallen head first into a lacteal 
lake, but although his mourning companions 
diligently sought for his corpse, and even 
dredged that huge natural milkpan, they could 
find no trace of him. When churning-day came 
round, however, and the big vats of thick cream 
were poured into a churn as large and tall as a 



Legends of Vaud and Valais g 



castle tower, the dead man was suddenly dis- 
covered imbedded like a fly in the thick cream. 
The dairymen and milkmaids then mournfully 
laid his corpse to rest in a huge cave, lined 
with honeycombs so tall and massive that none 
was smaller than the city gates. 

Such was the prosperity of all the farmers in 
the Cantons of Vaud and Valais, that their men 
used goat cheeses (tommes) instead of quoits 
for their daily games, and on Sundays played 
bowls with huge balls of the sweetest, hardest, 
yellowest butter that has ever been made. The 
fruit trees were as productive as the pastures ; 
the grapes, for instance, being so large and 
juicy that faucets had to be inserted in each 
grape to draw off the juice, while the pears 
were so fine and heavy that their stems had to 
be severed by means of a double hand-saw 
when came time to pick them. 

The Golden Age of the Alps did not last 
long, however, for the unparalleled prosperity 
the people enjoyed filled their hearts with 
such inordinate pride that they became very 
insolent, and thereby called down the wrath of 
heaven upon their guilty heads. The brutality 
and avarice which they displayed was punished 
by earthquakes, storms, and landslides, which 
ruined their finest pastures, and by sudden and 



lO 



Legends of Switzerland 



unwelcome changes in the temperature. Dense 
fogs swept over the mountains, and there were 
long and heavy snow-falls which swathed the 
mountains in a permanent casing of ice and 
snow. The summer season became far briefer 
than in the past, and fields and pastures much 
less productive. Cattle and fruit therefore 
soon dwindled down to their present compara- 
tively small proportions, and unlimited plenty 
no longer reigned in the land. 

In the Golden Age the country boasted of a 
few very large but quite benevolent giants. 
They roamed about at will, striding over moun- 
tains and forests, which seemed to them no 
larger than mole hills and tiny shrubs. The 
best known of these giants was Gargantua, 
renowned alike for his athletic proportions and 
for his childlike spirit. He was so huge that 
v/hen he sat down to rest upon Mont Blanc, 
Monte Rosa^ or some other large mountain, his 
legs hung down on either side until his feet 
rested comfortably in the valleys. Sometimes, 
when indulging in a brief noonday nap, he 
used one of these peaks as pillow for his huge 
and sleepy head. His thick white beard and 
hair, falling around him on all sides, then gave 
these heights somewhat the same aspect they 
have now, with their fields of snow and rivers 



Legends of Vaud and Valais ii 

of ice. The sunken orbits of the giant's eyes 
and his wide-open mouth looked like valleys 
and crevasses, while his nostrils could be mis- 
taken for deep and dark caves, and his ruddy 
cheeks for great patches of red rock peeping 
out among the snows. 

When the weather was warm, Gargantua's 
breath seemed like the mist hovering on the 
mountain tops ; but when the temperature fell, 
it rapidly congealed, spreading like a dense fog 
all over the country. His gentlest snores are 
said to have sounded like the distant rumble of 
thunder, or the crash of avalanches ; and when 
he stretched himself after a siesta, the whole 
country was shaken as by a violent earthquake. 

Once, while the giant lay asleep, his head 
resting against a mountain, a large flock of 
sheep scrambled up over his prostrate form, 
and began to thread their way through his 
tangled hair and beard in quest of pasture. 
Awakened by a slight tickling sensation, the 
giant half opened his sleepy eyes. The sight 
of a host of little white creatures crawling around 
in his beard so angered him, that he took them 
up one by one between his thumb and index, 
and crushed and threw them away, thinking 
they were vermin. 

During another nap a large herd of cows 



12 



Legends of Switzerland 



strayed into the giant's wide-open mouth, 
which they mistook for a cave. Their pres- 
ence there, however, occasioned a prodigious 
coughing-fit, in the course of which the cows 
were ejected with such force that they flew 
through miles of space and landed in another 
country 1 

As simple and innocent as he was large, 
Gargantua delighted in playing in the dirt. To 
amuse himself, he hollowed out the Rh6ne 
valley, and scooped out a basin for the Lake 
of Geneva. There the marks of his fingers 
can still be seen, for having no other tools he 
freely used those nature provides, flinging hand- 
fuls of earth and stones on either side of him, 
or into a rude basket made of wattled pine-trees 
which he carried on his back. 

At one time Gargantua elected to build a fine 
sand-heap, and carried load after load of dirt 
and stones to a point southeast of the present city 
of Geneva. There he dumped them one after 
another, and as the heap increased in size after 
each basketful, he gleefully cried: " Qa leve, 
9a level" (It is rising, it is rising I) This cry 
was overheard by the people in the neighbour- 
hood, who ever after used it as a name for that 
mountain, changing the orthography to Sal^ve. 

Gargantua sometimes threw huge rocks 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 13 

around him in sport, or in petulant fits of anger, 
punched holes in and through the mountains, and 
dug out fistfuls of earth here and there to fashion 
his mud pies. He also liked to make gullies 
for the streams which trickled down the moun- 
tains. Once, while scratching out the Illiez 
valley he forgot the burden on his back and 
stooped to drink from the Rhone, which seemed 
to him like a mere rill. By some mischance, 
however, he stubbed his big toe against the 
rocks of St. Triphon, and fell sprawling along 
the valley, spilling part of the dirt out of his 
basket. The simple fellow, amazed at this ac- 
cident, picked himself up gravely and uttered 
the local substitute for " My goodness I " (Eh 
Monteh I). This exclamation was thereafter 
used by the natives to designate a mound of 
earth now covered with oak forests and known 
as Monthey. 

In his wrath at having tripped and broken 
the sti:aps fastening his basket to his back, 
Gargantua gave his burden an ill-tempered 
kick, which sent it flying some distance further 
on, where it dumped the rest of its contents. 
This heap of dirt formed the picturesque emi- 
nence on whose wooded heights the ruined 
tower of Duin now stands. 

A similar accident occurring when the giant 



14 Legends of Switzerland 



once tried to quench his thirst in the Sarine, is 
the alleged origin of the hill upon which rises 
the church of Chateau d'Oex. On another 
occasion, resting one foot upon the top of the 
Berra and the other upon the Gibloux, Gar- 
gantua bent down and took a draught from the 
Sarine, which drained it so dry that not a drop 
of water flowed along its bed for three whole 
days. During that time one legend claims that 
the giant laid the foundation for the bridge at 
Pont-la-Ville, near Fribourg, but another as- 
cribes that construction to his Satanic Majesty 
in person. 

Gargantua's feet were so large that one of 
his sandals could serve as bridge over the 
Rhdne or Sarine, and his hands so strong that 
he tore great gaps in the Jura mountains to 
enable those two streams to make their way 
to the sea. 

A mountain giant who roamed about in the 
mist, but never came down into the valleys, 
was known as PathO. He delighted in terrify- 
ing the people in the lowlands by sudden wild 
crieS; or by playfully rolling stones down upon 
them, their cattle, houses, or pastures. 

Many of the Swiss giants were supposed to 
dwell in caves, or castles, on the tallest moun- 
tains, hidden from the eyes of men by ever- 



r 

Legends of Vaud and Valais 15 

shifting clouds. To commemorate this super- 
stition, Schiller wrote a charming ballad, telling 
how the daughter of one of these giants once 
strayed down into the valley, where, for the first 
time in her life^ she beheld a farmer ploughing 
his field. In her delight and wonder, she bundled 
man, horses, and plough into her apron, and 
quickly carried them home, where she proudly 
exhibited her new playthings to her father. 
The giant, who wished the puny human race no 
ill, immediately bade his little daughter carry the 
frightened peasant and kicking team back to the 
place where she had found them, gravely warn- 
ing her never to meddle again with the people 
in the valley, whose diligent toil supplied giants 
as well as mortals with their daily bread. 

The monks who lived in the old abbey at 
Romainmotier, in the northern part of the 
canton of Vaud, once built a bridge over the 
rushing waters of the Orbe, to enable the 
throngs of pilgrims to reach a wonder-working 
image of the Virgin near Vallorbes. But as 
these monks were very eager to enrich their 
monastery, they also placed a toll-gate across 
the bridge, and would allow none to pass with- 
out paying a certain sum. 

One night, the bridge-keeper was startled 



1 6 Legends of Switzerland 

out of his peaceful slumbers by the rhythmic 
sound of rapid hoof-beats on the hard road, 
and he sprang to his window just in time to 
find himself face to face with a panting, foam- 
flecked steed, upon which sat a girl clad in 
garments apparently no whiter than her an- 
guished face. In breathless tones the maiden 
bade the keeper open wide the gate and let her 
pass, for her beloved mother was dangerously 
ill, and she wanted to plead for her recovery at 
the foot of the miraculous image. 

The gate-keeper listened unmoved to this 
passionate entreaty, and instead of opening 
the gate, held it shut tight while sternly de- 
manding his toll. In vain the girl repeated she 
had forgotten to bring any money, and implored 
him to let her pass, promising to bring him the 
required amount on the morrow ; he would not 
listen to anything she said. 

Seeing it was useless to parley any longer 
with such an unfeeling man, yet determined to 
save her mother at any price, the brave girl 
urged her steed to the very edge of the bridge, 
and suddenly leaped over the low parapet into 
the rushing tide. For a few moments the hor- 
rified gate-keeper saw horse and rider strug- 
gling bravely to reach the opposite shore, but 
all at once their strength gave way, and they 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 17 



were swept into a whirlpool in the middle of 
the stream. A moment later he saw them dashed 
against sharp rocks, and vanish beneath the 
foaming waters which were soon tinged red 
with blood. 

The gate-keeper stole back to his couch, 
trembling in every limb, but told no one of the 
girl's visit or of her frightful death. At midnight 
on the anniversary of the tragedy, the con- 
science-stricken man was however again roused 
by a loud clatter of hoofs. Torn from his bed 
by invisible hands, he found himself on the 
bridge, face to face with the same unhappy 
maid, whose snowy garments were now all 
stained with blood. Still impelled by a force 
he could not resist, the gate-keeper suddenly 
dropped down on his hands and knees before 
her, and felt her spring lightly upon his back. 
A second later he was galloping wildly toward 
the shrine of the miraculous Virgin. 

There the maiden dismounted and fervently 
prayed for her sick mother ; then rising hastily 
from her knees, she again sprang upon her 
human steed, whom she urged on over the 
stony road by lashing him with a long wet reed. 
At the bridge, the spectre maiden vanished over 
the parapet, and the terrified gate-keeper 
straightened up once more, only in time to hear 
2 



1 8 Legends of Switzerland 



the gurgling cry of a drowning person rising 
above the roaring and splashing of the swollen 
stream. 

This spectral apparition visited this man every 
year, and so shattered his nerves that he fell ill 
and died of fright. But before he breathed his 
last, he humbly confessed to one of the monks 
his cruel treatment of the girl, her pitiful end, 
and his awful punishment. 

In memory of this event, an image of a man 
on all fours, and ridden by a beautiful maiden, 
was placed in the convent church, where it was 
long exhibited to pilgrims and tourists, to whom 
the above story is invariably told. 

South of Romainmotier, on the road from 
Vallorbes to Lausanne, stands the small and 
very ancient town of La Sarraz, with its quaint 
castle. We are told that a statue was excavated 
there lately, which once stood in the chapel, 
and represented a knight, on whose cheeks and 
shoulder-blades clung loathsome toads. The 
recovery of that peculiar statue recalled the 
olden tale of a young knight of La Sarraz, 
who, having won great distinction in warfare, 
aspired to the hand of a Count's daughter. 

Although the maiden was far above him in 
station, her father consented to their union, 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 19 

provided the bridegroom gave her a castle and 
three hundred cows as vv^edding gift, or mor- 
gengabe. This condition filled the knight's 
heart with hopeless sorrow, for he could boast 
no property except his trusty sword, his stout 
suit of mail, and his fiery battle-horse. 

His parents, perceiving his dejection, ques- 
tioned him tenderly, and when they learned the 
cause of his sorrow, they joyfully exclaimed 
that he need not despair, for they would give 
him castle and cattle, which was all they had in 
the world. They confidently added that they 
knew their son would never let them want in 
their old age, even if they did bestow every- 
thing upon him, reserving naught for themselves. 

The selfish son gladly accepted this proffered 
sacrifice, but when the marriage ceremony had 
been completed, and he and his wife were com- 
fortably settled in their new home, he be- 
grudged his old parents the little they required, 
and instigated by his wife, turned them out of 
the house one cold and stormy night. 

After closing the door upon them, to shut off 
the sound of their pitiful sobs and heartbreaking 
reproaches, the knight of La Sarraz strode back 
into the hall of his castle, where a huge beaker 
of strong beer and a fine game-pie were await- 
ing him near a good fire. Settling himself down 



20 Legends of Switzerland 



comfortably in a big armchair, the knight re- 
moved the crusty cover of the pie. But no 
sooner had he done so than he started back in 
horror, for two live toads sprang straight out 
of it to his cheeks, where they buried their 
claws so deep that no one could remove them. 
Every effort was made to kill these animals or 
drive them away, but all in vain. The knight, 
in despair, finally sent for the neighbouring 
priest, thinking that his prayers might accom- 
plish what force and skill had failed to effect. 

No sooner did the priest behold the live 
toads imbedded in the knight's cheeks, how- 
ever, than he exclaimed this must be a visita- 
tion from heaven, and bade him confess what 
grievous sin he had committed. But when the 
knight acknowledged that he had unmercifully 
driven his aged parents out of the house they 
had given him, the priest made a frightened 
sign of the cross, and bade him apply to the 
bishop, as he could not give absolution for so 
heinous a sin. 

The bishop, equally shocked and horrified at 
the knight's confession, referred him to the 
Pope, who, seeing the man's plight, bade him 
return to his native land, find his aged parents, 
atone for his past cruelty by treating them 
kindly as long as they lived, and assured him 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 



21 



that when he had obtained their forgiveness, 
the toads would certainly depart from his 
face. 

The knight of La Sarraz therefore journeyed 
home again, and after a long and conscientious 
search discovered the dead bodies of his old 
father and mother lying side by side in an 
abandoned hermitage. At the pitiful sight of 
their wasted corpses, he fell on his knees, while 
tears of bitter repentance flowed in torrents 
down his cheeks. These tears effected what 
no other agent had been able to accomplish, 
for the toads suddenly loosened their hold, 
and sprang from the knight's cheeks, down to 
his shoulders, where they again burrowed and 
clung fast. 

As long as the knight of La Sarraz lived, he 
bore these awful living reminders of his sin, but 
as he kept them carefully hidden from sight, no 
one suspected the tortures he endured for more 
than twenty years. It is this sin and its awful 
punishment which was commemorated by the 
odd statue in the chapel of La Sarraz. 

In the tenth century, when all the w^estern 
part of Switzerland formed part of the kingdom 
of Burgundy, good Queen Bertha rode through 
the land, visiting every castle, farm, and hamlet. 



22 Legends of Switzerland 



and taking a kindly interest in the affairs of rich 
and poor. 

Wherever she went, she encouraged high and 
low to be good and virtuous, setting them a 
shining example of industry by spinning dili- 
gently from morning until night. Such was her 
skill in handling the distaff, that she twirled it 
even while riding her snow-white palfrey from 
place to place. Those days were so peaceful 
and happy, that the time " when Queen Bertha 
span," is still regarded in Switzerland as a 
synonym for the Golden Age. Of course, the 
memory of so virtuous a ruler has been kept 
green in the minds of the people, who have also 
carefully preserved her saddle with its hole for 
her distaff. This relic can still be seen in 
Payerne, where the virtuous Queen lies buried 
beside her husband and son. 

Statues, pictures, and poems perpetuate Queen 
Bertha's fame, and people still relate anecdotes 
about her. One of these affirms that the queen, 
seeing a shepherd girl spin while tending her 
flock, was so delighted with her industry that 
she bestowed upon her a rich reward. The 
court ladies, wishing to secure similar benefits, 
presented themselves on the morrow, distaff in 
hand, before their royal mistress. Observing 
them for a moment in silence, the queen then 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 



23 



archly remarked: "Ah, ladies! the peasant 
girl, like Jacob, received the blessing because 
she came first, but you, like Esau, have come 
too late 1 " 

Queen Bertha v^^as so good and charitable, 
that she was particularly loved by the poor, 
who claim that her spirit still haunts that region. 
Every year, towards Christmas time, she is said 
to wander through the villages after nightfall, 
peering in at every window to ascertain whether 
the women and girls have spun all their flax. 
Those who have been careful and diligent, and 
can show empty distaffs and skeins of fine, 
smooth thread, are rewarded by magic gifts. 
These consist of skeins which never end, or 
handfuls of leaves, twigs, shavings, or coal, 
which, if carefully put away, turn into gold 
before morning. But the maidens who have 
been careless or lazy are sure to be punished 
by sleepless nights, troubled dreams, tangled 
skeins, and numerous other petty mishaps. 

We are told that Queen Bertha built the 
castle of Vufflens for a faithful servant who had 
become insane. As it was not safe to let him 
go abroad, the good Queen carefully selected 
this lovely spot so that the poor man could 
constantly feast his eyes upon the magnificent view 
of the lake, with Mont Blanc in the distance. 



24 Legends of Switzerland 



It is said that a thunderbolt put a sudden and 
merciful end to this madman's life. Then, as 
Queen Bertha was about to leave the country 
to join her married daughter in Lombardy, she 
bestowed the castle upon Grimoald, a brother 
of the deceased^ believing him to be good and 
honourable too, although he was really a base- 
hearted wretch whom every one feared. 

Grimoald had not deemed it necessary to 
marry until then, but, wishing to have an heir 
for his new castle, he soon brought home a 
reluctant bride, forced by a stern father to ac- 
cept his hand. He treated his wife, Ermance, 
moderately well until the birth of her first child. 
But when he heard that this babe was a girl, 
instead of the boy he desired, he flew into a 
towering rage, and vowed it should be confined 
in one of the corner turrets of the castle, to 
remain there with its nurse until he had an 
heir. Poor Ermance pleaded in vain for an oc- 
casional glimpse, or even for news, of her child. 
Then, she began a series of pilgrimages, and 
fasted and prayed without ceasing, hoping that 
Providence would give her a son. To her 
intense sorrow, however, she gave birth to 
daughters only, who as soon as they came 
into the world were consigned to separate 
towers, their cruel father reiterating ever more 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 25 

emphatically the remarks he had made at the 
advent of his first child.- 

When the fourth daughter came, the poor 
mother, clasping her passionately in her arms, 
begged permission to share her imprisonment 
and be her nurse. Grimoald, whose wrath by 
this time knew no bounds, then angrily said : 

Since you can give me nothing but daughters, 
you may go 1 But remember^ I shall keep you in 
prison for ever. Every one shall believe you are 
dead, and I will take another wife, who, I hope, 
will not be such a fool as you I " 

Striding out of his wife's room, Grimoald 
then made all his arrangements. By his orders, 
the babe was carried to the turret, and Ermance 
covered with a sheet as if she were dead. 
Then a coffin was brought into the room by 
servants, who fancied their mistress had died 
of grief at losing her fourth child too. But 
during the night, Raymond, Grimoald's trusted 
henchman, put some stones into this coffin, 
nailed down the lid, and secretly conveyed his 
mistress to the fourth tower, which, like all 
the rest, then communicated with his own 
dwelling by secret passageways. 

Years now passed by, during which Ermance 
devoted all her thoughts to her last child, for 
her husband had made Raymond tell her that 



26 Legends of Switzerland 



the other little girls were all dead. From a 
narrow window high up in the wall, she caught 
a glimpse of her funeral procession ; but although 
she often saw her husband ride in and out of 
the castle yard, she never beheld a woman 
beside him, for now that his cruelty was known, 
no one would consent to marry him. 

Although confined within the narrow limits 
of a little tower room, Ermance's youngest 
daughter throve like a flower, and became so 
pretty and attractive that she won the heart 
of her grim jailer. Before she was thirteen, 
Raymond could refuse her nothing, and when 
he fell ill, he sent his adopted son and daughter 
to wait upon her and her mother. In the com- 
pany of these charming young people, — to 
whom mother and daughter felt equally attracted, 
— the prisoners spent many happy hours, and 
heard many tidings of the outside world. 

In the meantime Grimoald was failing fast, 
and Raymond rushed into the tower one night 
to summon his mistress and her daughter to his 
master's death-bed. On entering her husband's 
chamber, Ermance was somewhat surprised to 
behold there Raymond's adopted children with 
two other beautiful girls. But she almost died 
of joy, when Grimoald faintly informed her 
that these three maidens were the children for 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 27 

whom she had mourned so long. Then, after 
begging and obtaining her forgiveness for all 
he had made her endure, Grimoald told her 
that Raymond's adopted son, the child of an 
elder brother, was to inherit the castle of Vufflens, 
where, however, she and her daughters might 
dwell as long as they pleased. 

Neither Ermance nor her daughters could 
mourn greatly for a husband and father who had 
treated them so cruelly, and after he was laid 
to rest, they openly rejoiced to find themselves 
free to go wherever they pleased. The four 
girls, especially, were in a state of rapturous 
delight over everything they heard and saw ; 
for, until then, their world had consisted of 
narrow turret chambers, with as much of the 
country as they could perceive from loop-hole 
windows. 

In time, three of these maidens, who were 
noted for their great beauty, married the lords 
of Blonay, Chatelard, and La Sarraz, whose 
castles still exist to-day, while the fourth became 
the wife of Artus, the new and gallant young 
lord of Vufflens. Unlike his uncle, this knight 
treated his wife and children with the utmost 
consideration, and the corner turrets were 
never again used as prisons for innocent 
babes. 



28 Legends of Switzerland 



In journeying on eastward along the northern 
shore of the Lake of Geneva, one soon comes 
to a dense forest of pine and hickory, very near 
Clarens, where stands the famous overhanging 
"Scex que Plliau," or Raining Rock, of which 
the following romantic legend is told : 

The son of a rich lord, whose castle was at 
Montreux, once fell desperately in love with 
Joliette, the daughter of a neighbouring moun- 
taineer. All went well until the young man's 
father heard of this love affair, and peremptorily 
bade his son part for ever from the maiden who 
was too far beneath him in station ever to 
become his wife. 

The young lover, unwilling to give up his 
beloved, yet not daring to see her openly, now 
began to roam about the countr}^^ ostensibly in 
quest of game, but in reality in hope of encoun- 
tering by chance the fair Joliette. One day, 
the good fairies who watch over all true lovers 
of that region, brought both young people to 
a charming and secluded spot in the forest, and 
while they sat there under an overhanging rock, 
exchanging vows and confidences, the hours 
sped by unmarked. 

They were still lingering there, hand in hand, 
listening to the soughing of the wind in the pines, 
and the ripple of the waters over the stony bed of 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 



29 



Clarens Bay, when they were suddenly startled 
out of their love dream by the angry voice of 
the young man's father. Terrified beyond 
measure by this unwelcome interruption, Joli- 
ette fled for protection to the arms of her lover, 
whO; clasping her close to his heart, gazed de- 
fiantly at his sire. 

The baron of Chaulin, however^ like all 
mediaeval fathers, expected his son to obey him 
implicitly ; so when he beheld this attitude, he 
angrily bade his followers hurl the disobedient 
lovers over the rocks into the ravine at their 
feet ! But, before this fierce order could be 
carried out, Albert sprang in front of Joliette 
with drawn sword, swearing he would have the 
life blood of any one who dared to lay a finger 
upon his betrothed. 

His resolute bearing checked for a moment 
the advance of the baron's followers, v/ho had 
tried to execute their master's order. While they 
stood there motionless, silently awaiting further 
directions, a fairy voice was suddenly heard, 
bidding the young people marry without fear, 
promising them her protection, and upbraiding 
the hard-hearted father for opposing their union. 
This speech, which somewhat encouraged the 
lovers, further exasperated the baron. He furi- 
ously bade his men seek for the witch and 



30 



Legends of Switzerland 



hang her on the nearest tree, adding that his 
son should marry Joliette when water dripped 
through the rock above them^ but not before ! 

To emphasise this statement, the baron sav- 
agely kicked the stone with his mailed heel, and 
he was about to pour forth more abuse, when 
he suddenly beheld the rock turn damp and saw 
the first drop of water form ,and fall. All now 
gazed in open-mouthed wonder at the overhang- 
ing rock, to which clung countless big drops 
which fell one after another, with a gentle 
splash, while new ones formed above in their 
stead. 

" The rock is raining, the rock is raining I " 
the baron's followers gasped ; and then, seized 
with superstitious terror, they turned and fled^ 
leaving their master alone with the lovers. 

" Yes," cried the fairy's voice, "the rock 
is raining, and unless the baron of Chaulin 
breaks his word for the first time in his life, 
you young people can now marry without 
further delay." 

Awed by this phenomenon, or too honour- 
able to disregard his oath, the baron not only 
consented to the young people's union, but 
gave them such a grand wedding that all Mon- 
treux feasted and danced for a whole week. 

Since then, water has constantly trickled from 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 31 

the overhanging Raining Rock, down on the 
moss and the shiny-leaved water plants beneath 
it ; and the delicate fronds of the ferns, growing 
in every cranny, perpetually rise and fall with 
dainty grace as the huge drops fall down upon 
them, and glancing off, slowly roll from stone 
to stone until they find their way into the Lake 
of Geneva. 

North of Clarens, on the boundary of the 
cantons of Vaud and Fribourg, is the mighty 
Dent de Jaman, which can best be crossed by 
means of the '^col," or pass, of the same name. 

A peasant who had never left his native valley 
in the southern part of the canton of Fribourg, 
once decided that it might be well to see a little 
of the world, and after talking a long while of 
his plans, he bade his friends and relatives an 
impressive farewell and set out. Armed with 
his mountain staff, he slowly climbed the rough 
path leading to the Col de Jaman. Tramping 
sturdily on, he soon came to the boundary line 
between his own canton and that of Vaud. 
Never yet had he ventured so far from home, 
and everything seemed so strange that he kept 
looking around and behind him, marvelling at 
the view, which grew more and more extended 
with every step. 



32 Legends of Switzerland 



As it was one of those bright days when 
every object is perceptible for miles around, 
there was plenty to see, and as he had never 
travelled, he was quite unprepared for the sight 
which greeted his eyes when he reached the top 
of the pass. He therefore stood still there, in 
open-mouthed v/onder, his gaze fixed upon the 
wonderful Lake of Geneva, whose waters were 
of the exact tint of the sky overhead. 

After staring thus for some time, the sturdy 
peasant heaved a great sigh, turned slowly on 
his hobnailed heel, and wended his way home 
again, along the very path which he had just 
trod. 

When he reached his native village once 
more, the people all crowded around him, ask- 
ing why he had come back so soon, and what 
had induced him to give up his long-cherished 
plan to see the world on the other side of the 
mountain ? 

The peasant, whose intellect was none of the 
keenest, listened stolidly to all their questions, 
then, scratching his curly head, slowly ex- 
plained that on reaching the top of the pass he 
had discovered it would be useless and rather 
unsafe to venture any farther, as a big piece of 
the sky had just dropped down into the valley 
on the other side of the mountain ! 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 33 

A SIMPLE mountaineer, whose greatest ambi- 
tion was to own a horse, worked and saved 
with the utmost diligence until he had amassed 
a sum sufficient to purchase a colt. Thinking 
it would be very delightful to watch the gradual 
development of this animal into the coveted 
steed, the good man tied up his savings in a 
corner of his handkerchief, and taking his 
sharpest-pointed staff set out long before day- 
break for Aigle, where he knew a large horse 
and cattle fair was held. 

After a long, fatiguing tramp down the steep 
Ormond mountains, the sturdy mountaineer 
reached the valley, and entering the town of 
Aigle, proceeded to examine every horse and 
foal on the market, with the laudable aim of 
securing the best animal he could for his 
money. Pricing them one after another, he 
found; to his intense dismay, that his savings 
were not sufficient to pay for the smallest colt 
offered for sale there, and that he would have 
to return home without having made the desired 
purchase. 

A charlatan, who had slyly watched him for 
some time, now stepped up to him, and before 
long drew from the unsophisticated mountain- 
eer a detailed account of his long cherished 
hopes and of his present bitter disappointment. 
3 



34 



Legends of Switzerland 



After listening with feigned sympathy to the 
whole story, the charlatan suggested that if the 
peasant's means would not permit his buying a 
foal, he ought to purchase a mare's egg ; adding 
that a cow could hatch it, and suckle the foal 
until it was old enough to eat grass. 

The peasant, delighted with this suggestion, 
promptly expressed a fervent desire to buy a 
mare's egg if such a treasure could only be 
secured. Assuring him there would be no diffi- 
culty about that, the charlatan led the peasant 
to another part of the town, and after threading 
his way amid countless bags and baskets of 
fruit and vegetables exposed for sale, he finally 
stopped before a cart in which lay a huge yel- 
low squash. 

"There is a fine mare's egg 1 " cried the 
charlatan to the peasant, making a sign to his 
accomplice, the proprietor of both squash and 
cart. The mountaineer, who had never seen 
a squash in his life, stared at it in awe and 
wonder, and after asking countless questions 
and doing considerable chaffering, he decided to 
purchase it. To carry it home safely, he then 
tied it up in his huge handkerchief, which he 
hung on the end of his stick over his shoulder. 

He was so elated by his purchase, and by 
the potations he had indulged in with his friend, 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 35 

the charlatan, while closing the bargain, that 
he set out for home trolling a merry song. 
Climbing higher and higher, he revelled in joy- 
ful anticipations of his wife's surprise, and of 
the time when the huge egg he carried would 
be safely hatched and a pretty foal would come 
at his call. 

While walking near the edge of a precipice, 
glancing from time to time down its steep sides 
covered with jagged rocks and stunted bushes, 
the knots in the handkerchief, loosened by the 
weight of the squash, suddenly came undone, 
and the startled peasant beheld his precious 
purchase bounding from rock to rock down the 
precipitous slope 1 As he stood there, motion- 
less in utter despair, the squash dashed with 
such force against a sharp stone that it flew into 
pieces which scattered far and wide. 

At the same moment, a brown hare, hiding in 
a bush near by, sprang in terror from its cover 
and darted down the mountain. The peasant, 
thinking this was the desired colt, accidentally 
released from the shattered egg, loudly called : 
*' Coltie, Coltie, come here!" and wrung his 
hands in helpless grief when he saw the fleet 
brown creature disappear. 

After vainly watching for hours for its return, 
the peasant sorrowfully went home, and spent 



36 



Legends of Switzerland 



the evening relating his various adventures to his 
wife. And, as long as he lived, he talked of the 
remarkable horse which he would have had, had 
not the fleet-footed colt run away as soon as 
hatched from the mare's egg bought on the 
market-place at Aigle. 

The mountains around Ormont were once 
remarkably rich in game of all kinds, and the 
favourite haunts of large herds of chamois. 
Tradition claims that these animals were herded 
on the high pastures by countless dwarfs, the 
servants of the august Spirit of the Alps. 
Chamois-hunters who slew too many of these 
deer, or who ventured high up the mountains 
and along the dizzy precipices where they were 
supposed to be safe from human reach, were 
sure to be punished for their temerity. Either 
the Spirit of the Alps appeared to them in 
person (as in Schiller's poem of the Chamois 
Hunter), bidding them begone in awe-inspiring 
tones, or dwarfs uttered similar warnings. 
When some rash mortal ventured to disobey 
these orders, the gnomes slyly laid bits of 
treacherous ice under his feet, or deftly 
loosed the rocks on which he trod, thus mak- 
ing him lose his precarious foothold and fall into 
some abyss, where he was dashed to pieces. 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 37 

The chamois-hunters of the region not only 
delighted in this venturesome sport, but prided 
themselves upon constantly adding new victims 
to their hunting record, w^hich vi^as always kept 
with scrupulous care. Some of these men, 
wandering up to almost inaccessible heights, 
are said to have encountered there dainty, mist- 
like Alpine fairies, who guided them safely over 
dangerous places, watched over their slumbers 
when they rested exhausted at the edge of 
frightful precipices, and often whispered won- 
derful dream tales into their drowsy ears. 

Both dwarfs and fairies are also reported to 
have revealed to their favourites the places 
where the finest rock crystals could be found, 
to have delivered into their keeping long-con- 
cealed treasures, or to have bestowed upon 
them magic bullets which never missed their 
aim, or cheeses made of chamois milk, which 
became whole again after every meal, provided 
a small piece was left " for manners." 

As the chamois are the shyest of game, and 
their brown coats are not easily distinguish- 
able at a distance from the rocks, hunters often 
carry spy-glasses to locate their quarry. We 
are told that one of these men, discovering that 
the chamois were sure to see him and scamper 
away before he could lay down his glass and 



38 



Legends of Switzerland 



take good aim, once decided that it would be 
of great assistance to him if he could only see 
and shoot around the corner of any rock behind 
which he chose to hide. After much cogitation, 
therefore, this particular hunter bent his gun 
and spy-glass so they formed sharp angles. 
Thanks to this clever device, he easily dis- 
covered and killed his prey I 

Another sportsman once set out with his pack 
of dogs to hunt hares. He had not gone very 
far before seven fine specimens, starting from 
covert, darted away. The hounds eagerly pur- 
sued six of them, but the hunter concentrated 
all his attention upon the seventh and last, 
which was also the finest. This hare, how- 
ever, was as sly as it was large and fleet- 
footed, and knowing the man's unerring aim, 
began to run around and around a haycock. 
Such was the speed with which the hare ran, 
that the hunter's eyes could not follow it, and 
even the animal's shadow failed to keep up 
with it. The sportsman, seeing he would 
never bag this fine hare unless he too resorted 
to stratagem, quickly bent the barrel of his gun 
until it almost formed a hoop. Then, taking 
quick aim, he sent after the speeding hare a 
bullet which laid it low in its circular track 
around the haycock. 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 



39 



In olden times Wotan reigned alone in the 
canton of Vaud, to which he is said to have 
given his local name Vaudai. As long as he 
v^as sole master of the country, Wotan proved 
on the whole an amiable and benevolent ruler ; 
but the gradual introduction of Christianity so 
soured his temper and made him behave so 
badly, that the Christians finally identified him 
with the Evil One himself. 

The new religion was so very distasteful to 
Wotan, that he hated both sight and sound of 
it, and hoping to avoid coming in contact with 
it, retreated far up into the mountains and took 
up his abode on the summit of the Diablerets. 
There, he vented his rage by sending dense fogs 
and violent storms down into the valleys, and 
by producing great snow-storms so that the melt- 
ing drifts should cause all the rivers to overflow. 

Brooding over his wrongs one day, Wotan 
determined to make a last and mighty effort to 
exterminate Christianity in the Rhone valley by 
drowning all the inhabitants. He therefore 
called up a fearful storm, and at his command 
the river began to boil and rise and overflow. 
Riding on the crest of a huge wave, Wotan 
himself swept down the valley, while the waters 
rose higher and higher, threatening to wash 
away everything along their path. But all 



40 



Legends of Switzerland 



Wotan's magic proved powerless when he came 
in sight of St. Maurice, where the Christians 
had set up a huge cross. Before this holy 
emblem the waters suddenly cowed, crept back 
into their wonted place, and flowed peacefully 
on within their long-appointed limits. 

Baffled and discouraged, Wotan again re- 
treated to the Diablerets^ where he is said to 
beguile the monotony of his sojourn by holding 
monster witch-dances on certain nights of the 
year. All the spirits, witches, and sorcerers of 
the neighbourhood then betake themselves on 
their broomstick-steeds to the Diablerets, to 
indulge in mad revelry. They circle around so 
wildly in their sabbatical dances that the motion 
raises a wind which sweeps down the mountain 
on all sides, while the sounds of their cries, 
hisses, and flying footsteps can often be heard 
far down the valley. 

The souls of all those who have done wrong 
while on earth are also supposed to haunt the top- 
most ridges of the Diablerets, where they play 
endless games of ninepins with the demons and 
their master. This belief is so general that 
in speaking of a dead sinner the natives gen- 
erally say, "Oh, he has gone to join the 
demons on the Diablerets ! " instead of stating 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 41 

that he has gone to Hades to receive due 
punishment for his crimes. Besides, one of 
the peaks of that mountain is called the Devil's 
Ninepin ; and when a great clatter is heard on 
the glacier, the people whisper in awestruck tones 
that the spirits are evidently engaged in their 
infernal game. When stones come clattering 
down on the pastures, the shepherds think they 
are some of the spirits' missiles which have 
strayed out of bounds, and they seek to ward 
off the nearer approach of evil by repeated and 
fervent signs of the cross. 

On the way to Chamounix, far above the 
road, you can perceive the entrance of the 
famous stalactite Grotte de Balme, the supposed 
abode of all the fairies of that region. These 
creatures resembled human maidens, except that 
they were dark of skin and had no heels to their 
feet. Clad in long rippling hair, which fell 
all around them like a garment, the fairies of 
Balme often sought to lure young shepherds 
and hunters into their retreat. Sometimes, too, 
they met these men on lonely mountain paths, 
where they tried to win their affections by gifts 
of rare Alpine flowers, of fine rock crystals, of 
lumps of gold and silver^ or by teaching them 
the use of the healing herbs and showing them 



42 Legends of Switzerland 



how to discover hidden treasures. The youths 
who refused the fairies' advances encountered 
such resentment that they were sure to meet 
shortly afterwards with some fatal accident. 
Those who ventured on the Diablerets, or the 
Oidenhorn, for instance, were suddenly pushed 
over the rocks into abysses and crevasses, from 
whence they never escaped alive. 

But the young men who received the fairies' 
overtures graciously were very well treated, 
and a few of them were even taken up to the 
grotto, where they feasted on choice game, and 
quaffed fiery wine as long as they obeyed their 
fairy wives. If, however, they proved untrust- 
worthy, or tried to pry into the fairies' secrets, 
they were ignominiously dismissed ; and while 
some of them managed to return home, the 
majority never prospered again, and as a rule 
came to an untimely end. 

Before the Rhone enters the Lake of Geneva, 
and not very far from Noville, there are low 
banks and a few picturesque little islands, all 
covered with lush grass, and bordered with 
rustling reeds and shiny-leaved water-plants of 
all kinds. 

These marshy places, with their dense luxu- 
riant vegetation, are said to be the favourite 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 43 

haunts of fairies and nixies of all kinds, and 
especially of a local water-nymph known as 
Fenetta. All the river sprites timidly avoid the 
glance of man ; so it is only now and then that 
some sharp-eyed native catches the gleam of 
a white hand gently parting the tall reeds, or 
discerns a slender figure, garbed in trailing 
white robes all dripping with water, and wearing 
a wreath of water-lilies upon her rippling golden 
hair. 

The water-nymphs betray their presence only 
by a slight rustle among the reeds, by an almost 
inaudible whisper, or by a long-drawn trembling 
sigh. But at dawn and twilight their breath 
is so cold and clammy, that whenever it happens 
to strike a mortal, cold shivers begin to creep 
up and down his spine, his finger-nails turn 
blue, and before long his teeth chatter noisily. 
Then, if the victim looks behind him, he is 
pretty sure to descry somewhere among the 
reeds on the bank a mist-like trail, which is the 
flutter of the water-nymph's white veil. 

Although the river-sprites are lovely in ap- 
pearance, none of the people care to see them, 
for those whose eyes have rested upon them 
have invariably died within a year. For that 
reason, the banks of the stream are generally 
deserted after sunset, the hour when the fairies 



44 



Legends of Switzerland 



are wont to sally forth to disport themselves 
in the cool waters of the limpid river, to tread 
the measures of their noiseless but fantastic 
dances along the shore, or to flit from one 
water-lily to another, gently opening their waxen 
petals with cool and dainty fingers. 

Even in broad daylight it is well to shun 
these marshy places, and those who do venture 
there should always warn the nymphs of their 
approach by whistling, singing, or making some 
other marked sound. Such signals enable the 
fairies to scurry out of sight before the visitor 
draws near ; and when he reaches the bank, 
waving reeds and grasses are the only sign of 
an unseen presence. 

It is said that a coquettish maiden from 
Noville once bade her lover go and get 
her some water-lilies, although she knew the 
hour had struck when the water-sprites had 
left their retreat. The young man, who had 
frequently declared he did not believe there 
were any water-nymphs, cheerfully departed to 
do her bidding. Running down to the rivers 
edge, he hastily unfastened his skiff, and with 
long and vigorous strokes rowed out to the 
place where the water-lilies softly rose and 
fell on the rippling waters in the midst of their 
broad green leaves. 




THE MIST NYMPH. 



j 

I- 



I 

i 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 45 

The last golden gleams had just died out in 
the west, gray shadows had replaced the flush on 
the snow mountains, and a cool evening breeze 
was sweeping gently over the river. The 
young man, who had laboured under the burning 
sun all day, revelled in the freshness all around 
him, and although he caught glimpses of vapoury 
white here and there along the shore, he thought 
they were trails of mist, and smiled to himself 
because superstitious mortals mistook them for 
the flutter of the nymphs' gossamer veils. 

He was just bending over the edge of the 
boat to reach the largest and finest lily, when 
he felt an icy breath on his neck, and turning 
around with a start, dimly perceived Fenetta's 
lovely form, and noticed that she was sadly and 
gently motioning to him to depart. As she 
vanished, he suddenly felt cold chills running 
all over him, and looking downward perceived 
that his sunburned hands seemed strangely wan 
and pale. With chattering teeth and failing 
strength he now rowed back to the shore ; but 
although he grew colder and colder every 
minute, and felt as if the chill had gone to his 
very heart, he picked up the lilies to carry them 
to his beloved. 

Reaching her door with faltering steps, he 
swooned on the threshold, scattering the lilies 



46 Legends of Switzerland 



at the feet of the maiden, who came out to wel- 
come him with merry words and arch smiles. 
At first she fancied he had merely tripped, but 
seeing he did not immediately rise, she stooped 
over him barely in time to catch his last sigh 
and a faint whisper of " Fenettal Fenetta 1 " 

The sudden death of this stalwart young 
lover proved such a shock to the maiden of 
Noville, that she lost her reason and began to 
wander along the river-bank among the reeds, 
constantly murmuring " Fenetta ! Fenetta 1 " 

The nymph, in pity for her sorrow, must have 
appeared to her too ; for one evening she came 
home with dripping garments and shivering from 
head to foot. After a few days' illness, the girl 
gently passed away, still whispering the water- 
nymph's name ; and since then youths and 
maidens have carefully avoided this fatal spot 
after sundown. 

In the valley of Conthey, noted for its pic- 
turesque situation as well as for its wines, there 
once dwelt a tailor who made fun of his wife 
because she firmly believed in witches, ghosts, 
and spirits of all kinds, and even maintained 
that a helpful sprite assisted her when she had 
more work on hand than she could easily 
accomplish. 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 47 

The tailor, who had been freely tasting the 
vintage of some of his neighbours, once mock- 
ingly remarked, while sitting cross-legged upon 
his bench, that he wished her familiar spirit 
would appear and take him on a nightly journey 
through the Valais, for he would like to see the 
famous witches and demons about which he had 
heard so many tales. 

The words were scarcely out of his mouth, 
when a grinning, mischievous dwarf, clad in 
all the colours of the rainbow, suddenly darted 
out of a corner, saying, " Your wish shall be 
granted I " At the same moment the tailor 
felt a clawlike hand close over his coat-collar, 
and was whisked through the air to Monthey. 
There, he and the dwarf alighted on the banks 
of the Viege, while the clocks were solemnly 
tolling the midnight hour, and quickly mounted 
a coal-black ram which came rushing out of 
the churchyard to meet them. The dwarf, 
who had jerked the tailor on the ram's back, 
roughly bade him hold fast, whispering that 
their fleet-footed steed was the spectral ram of 
Monthey, which ranged noisily through the 
land on certain days in the year. 

They now sped on so fast that the tailor felt 
the wind whistle through his hair, and he al- 
most fainted with terror when his guide pointed 



48 



Legends of Swit:{erland 



out the huge Ivy Snake, which was mounting 
guard over all the gold of heathendom, spread 
out on a barren heath. The snake no sooner 
perceived them than it rushed towards them, 
hissing loudly and breathing fire and brimstone 
from its gaping mouth. A timely kick, admin- 
istered by the dwarf, fortunately urged the 
black ram on to such speed, that the Ivy 
Snake could not overtake them however fast 
it pursued. 

At St. Maurice the ram paused for a moment 
near the monastery fish-pond, where a dead 
trout suddenly rose to the surface of the 
water. 

"There," cried the dwarf, "one of the 
choristers has just died, for whenever one of 
them breathes his last, a dead trout appears in 
this pond." 

In confirmation of his words, a funeral knell 
began to toll, and this sound accompanied them 
for some time as they sped on towards the 
Plan Nev^. Here, among the gray rocks and 
along the huge glacial stream, they beheld 
countless barefooted ghosts painfully threading 
their way. The dwarf then explained to the 
tailor that these spirits were condemned to 
carry fine sand up the mountain in sieves, but 
that as every grain ran out long before they 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 



49 



reached their goal, they were obliged to begin 
again and again their hopeless task. 

At the bottom of a neighbouring well, the 
dwarf next pointed out the ghost of Nero, who, 
in punishment for his manifold sins, was con- 
demned to blow huge bubbles up to the sur- 
face without ever stopping to rest. In the 
Aucenda, near Gex, the dwarf also showed him 
the spirits of dishonest lawyers, who, having 
fished in figuratively troubled waters all their 
lives, were now condemned to do the same in 
the ice-cold stream, where they were further 
employed in brewing the storms and freshets 
which desolate that region. 

Before the bewildered tailor had time to 
comment upon these awful sights, he was 
whisked away to La Soye, where a red-headed 
maiden told him she would give him a golden 
calf, provided he would kiss her thrice. Rea- 
soning that it was far from Conthey, and that 
his wife could not possibly see him, the tailor 
pursed up his lips, and was about to bestow 
the first kiss, when the red-headed girl was 
suddenly transformed into a hideous, writhing 
dragon. This metamorphosis so terrified the 
poor tailor that he buried his heels in the 
flanks of the black ram, which darted away at 
such a rattling pace that they soon reached Sion. 
4 



50 Legends of Swit:(erland 



There the dwarf transferred the tailor to the 
back of the three-legged white horse which 
haunts this city, and as they galloped away, 
the tailor saw that they were followed by a fire- 
breathing boar, the ram, the dragon, the red- 
headed girl, the ghosts of Plan Neve with their 
sieves, and the dripping lawyers. In the dim 
distance he could also descry Nero, still blow- 
ing huge bubbles, and the deceased chorister 
holding a dead trout between his teeth. 

This strange procession now swept along the 
Rh6ne valley to the Baths of Leuk, where they 
were joined by a mischievous sprite who rapped 
loudly at every door as he darted past. At 
Zauchet^ their ranks were further increased by 
the wraith of a giant ox, whose horns glowed 
like live coals and whose tail consisted of a 
flaming torch. 

Next they sped down the Visp valley, where 
a woman once refused food to Our Lord when 
he journeyed through the land. In punishment 
for this sin, the hamlet where she dwelt sank 
beneath the ground, and a stream now runs 
over the broad, flat stone which formed the 
altar of the village church. 

Arriving at Zermatt, the dwarf and tailor ex- 
changed their mount for a blue-haired donkey, 
whose loud bray, added to the snorts, groans, 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 51 

hisses, and cries of their ghostly train, created 
an awful din in the peaceful valleys through 
which they swept like the wind. Arriving finally 
at Lake Champey, the Blue Ass swam to an 
island, where the Devil of Corbassiere and a 
number of witches were madly treading the 
swift measures of an infernal dance. 

The tailor, seeing this, sprang from his steed 
to join them ; but when he offered to kiss the 
youngest and prettiest of the witches, the Devil 
of Corbassiere angrily flung him head first into 
the lake. As the witches belaboured him with 
their broomsticks whenever he tried to creep 
ashore on the island, the tailor finally struck 
out for the other bank, where he sank down, 
panting and exhausted, and closed his eyes. 

Suddenly he felt a small hand laid upon him, 
and thinking it must be one of his recent tor- 
mentors, he cried aloud in terror, " Leave me 
alone, you witch I " 

A vigorous box on his ear made him open 
his eyes with a start, just in time to see his 
wife standing over him with upraised hand, say- 
ing, " I '11 teach you to call me a witch I " 

The tailor now protested that he had done 
nothing of the kind ; but although his wife de- 
clared that he had merely fallen asleep over his 
work, he knew that his spirit had journeyed all 



52 Legends of Switzerland 

through the Valais, in company with the dwarf 
and the demons which haunt the land. 

He was so thoroughly imbued with this belief 
that he never made fun of his wife's supersti- 
tions again, and when sceptics denied the ex- 
istence of ghosts, demons, or witches, he merely 
shook his head, for he had seen for himself that 
" there are more things in heaven and earth 
than are dreamt of in our philosophy." 

The ascension of the Fletschhorn, near the 
Simplon, was probably first accomplished in 
1856, but tradition claims that this feat was 
performed long before this date by a dauntless 
Swiss. 

He resolved to be the first to reach the top 
of the mountain, and with that object in view 
started to scale it early one fine morning. As 
he did not know which road to follow, he 
scrambled up and down the rocks, through 
snow and over ice, and thus was quite ex- 
hausted long before he came near the top, 
where jagged rocks and steep walls of ice 
offer only a most precarious foothold. 

The mountaineer, v/ho was an expert climber, 
knew it would be folly to venture any farther 
that day, so he sat down to rest a moment be- 
fore he began the descent. While sitting there 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 



53 



on the mountain side, trying to recover his 
breath, he suddenly heard a ghostly voice far 
above him, bidding him bring a cat, dog, and 
cock, as propitiatory sacrifices to the Spirit 
of the Mountain next time he attempted the 
ascent. 

Refreshed by a few days' rest and by 
strengthening food, the mountaineer soon set 
out again, taking with him the three animals 
the Mountain Spirit had asked for. At the 
first dangerous spot the dog lost his foothold 
and fell down a precipice ; farther on even the 
cat's sharp claws failed to preserve it from slip- 
ping down into the blue-green depths of a cre- 
vasse, and after some more rough climbing the 
cold grew so intense that the poor cock was 
frozen stiff! 

The brave mountaineer now pressed on alone, 
although it was snowing hard and the wind blew 
sharp ice splinters into his face which almost 
blinded him. Presently the storm began to 
rage with such fury that the man had to relin- 
quish his purpose, although he had now reached 
a much higher point than the first time. 

On arriving home, friends and neighbours 
crowded around him, to hear a minute account 
of his adventures ; but they all deemed him more 
than foolhardy when he declared that, in spite of 



54 Legends of Switzerland 



all the perils encountered, he meant to try again 
on the next favourable day. 

True to his resolve, however, the man started 
out again with cat, dog, and cock, which poor 
animals met with the same fate as their pre- 
decessors. As for the Swiss himself, he climbed 
higher and higher, until he came so near the 
summit that a last determined effort would have 
enabled him to reach it. But the great exer- 
tions he had made, and the rarefied atmosphere, 
brought on a severe headache which made him 
feel very weak and dizzy. Nevertheless he 
bravely went on until the pain in his head grew 
so intolerable that it seemed as if his skull 
would burst. He therefore relinquished his 
attempt, and crept slowly home, feeling his head- 
ache decrease with every downward step. 

But even this last experience could not daunt 
our climber, who set out again a few days later, 
with the same strange trio of animals. This 
time, however, he prudently provided himself 
with an iron hoop, which fitting closely around 
his head, would prevent its bursting should he 
again reach a great altitude 1 

Thus equipped, he wended his way up the 
Fletschhorn, where cat, dog, and rooster soon 
perished, leaving the man to continue his peril- 
ous climb alone. Although the pain in his 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 55 

head again grew worse with every upward step, 
our mountaineer pressed bravely on, knowing 
the iron band would hold fast, 'and finally 
reached the topmost pinnacle of the mountain. 
His fellow-citizens, proud of this feat, bestowed 
upon him the Fletschalp, and honoured him as 
long as he lived as the most skilful Alpine 
climber of that part of the country. 

Patches of so-called red snow are sometimes 
found high up on the Alps ; but while scientists 
ascribe that peculiar colour to a microscopic 
fungus growth, the legend accounts for the 
vivid hue in a very different way. 

In bygone times, before the Alps had been 
pierced by tunnels and even before convenient 
roadways had been built, rough paths leading 
over the various passes served as means of 
communication between Switzerland and Italy. 
These were much frequented by pack-drivers 
with their sure-footed mules, and among other 
things thus imported were fiery Italian wines. 
Some of the muleteers who had a tendency to 
drink, or who were none too scrupulous to cheat 
their employers, used to tap the barrels and 
kegs on their way over the mountains, replac- 
ing the wine they had consumed by water from 
some mountain stream, so that the vessels were 



56 Legends of Switzerland 



always full when they reached their destina- 
tion. 

The pack-drivers on the Furka Pass were, 
it seems, especially addicted to this species of 
peculation, and generally paused at the top of 
the pass to refresh themselves after their long 
and arduous climb. In their eagerness to par- 
take of the strength-giving fluid, some of them 
often tapped their barrels so hastily that red 
wine spurted forth, and falling upon the im- 
maculate snow gave it a blood-like tinge. 

In punishment for this crime, or for so care- 
lessly guarding their merchandise that they did 
not even notice when barrels leaked, many 
pack-drivers are now said to haunt this pass, 
continually treading the path they once went 
over. They are tormented by a thirst such as 
is known by the damned only, and which all 
the ice, snow, and running streams around 
there cannot quench. Their only refreshment 
now comes from the scattered drops remaining 
here and there upon the snow, or from small 
libations which compassionate travellers still 
pour out along the pass, to moisten the parched 
lips and throats of these unhappy spirits. 

The old and picturesque city of Grandson, on 
the west shore of Lake Neuchatel^, and in the 



Legends of Vaud and Valah 57 

northern part of the canton of Vaud, is noted 
in history as the place where, in 1476, fifty 
thousand Burgundians, under their Duke 
Charles the Bold, were routed with great 
slaughter by less than half that number of 
Swiss patriots. Rich and quaint specimens of 
the booty secured on that memorable occasion 
by the victors, still adorn various Swiss museums 
and arsenals ; Soleure exhibiting the costume 
of Charles's jester, while Lucerne boasts of the 
golden Seal of Burgundy. 

Many romantic legends are told of the town 
and castle of Grandson, which were defended 
by a Bernese patriot, Brandolf of Stein, at the 
beginning of the Burgundian war. Such was 
the courage and skill of this commander, that, 
perceiving he could not secure the town by 
force, the Count of Romont, Charles's ally, 
resorted to stratagem. It succeeded only too 
well, and the Burgundians were already masters 
of the town when the first alarm was given, 
and Stein rushed bravely into the fray at the 
head of his five hundred men. The Swiss, 
however, soon saw that the town was lost, and 
wishing to preserve the castle until his country- 
men could send reinforcements to eject the 
Burgundians, Stein quickly ordered a retreat. 

To make sure that the enemy would be held 



58 Legends oj Switzerland 



at bay until all his men were safe, and the castle 
gates duly closed, Stein himself covered their 
retreat ; but at the last moment he was sur- 
rounded and overpowered by Romont, who, 
forcing him to surrender, led him away to his 
own quarters to await the arrival and decree of 
the Duke. 

As soon as Charles came, he bade Romont 
lead Stein under the walls of the castle, and 
have a herald proclaim that unless the garrison 
surrendered immediately, Stein would be put to 
death. This order was executed ; but the last 
words of the proclamation had scarcely been 
uttered when the prisoner sternly cried, — 

'^Comrades, pay no heed to these summons. 
You were Swiss before you became my friends ; 
therefore be true to your country, and die 
rather than relinquish your trust. But if you 
love me, guard well my treasure and cast it into 
the lake rather than let it fall into the hands of 
our enemy." 

Before the Burgundians could recover suffi- 
cient presence of mind to silence him, this brief 
speech was ended, and it was clear that not a 
word of it had been lost, for the garrison 
shouted a unanimous refusal to yield when 
summoned to do so for the third and last time. 
Still, when the Swiss saw their beloved chief 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 



59 



led away to the scaffold, hot tears poured freely 
down their bronzed and bearded cheeks. 

Such was their respect for their master's 
memory that they resisted every attack, holding 
out until forged papers convinced them that 
Bern was in the power of the Burgundians, 
and that they could expect no help from their 
distressed countrymen. These false tidings 
determined them to surrender the castle, pro- 
vided their safety was guaranteed by Charles 
the Bold. 

But the gates were no sooner opened than 
Charles, in spite of his promises, ordered most 
of these brave men cast into the lake or hanged, 
sparing only a few of those who pledged them- 
selves to serve him faithfully. Having thus rid 
himself of the garrison, the Duke next pro- 
ceeded to search for Stein's treasure, but all in 
vain. He questioned the few survivors, but 
they truthfully declared they had never heard 
of any store of gold, silver, or precious stones. 
Convinced nevertheless that Stein must have 
owned at least one priceless jewel, Charles bit- 
terly regretted having slain him before ascer- 
taining the nature and place of concealment of 
that treasure. 

Thinking that Laurent, keeper of the alarm 
tower, an old retainer of Stein's, might know 



6o 



Legends of Sii'itierland 



something about it, Charles went in quest of 
him, harshly threatening to pitch him into the 

lake, unless he immediately revealed all he 
knew concerning his master's possessions. Thus 
constrained, Laurent reluctantly admitted that 
Stein, having spared the life of a Mussulman, 
had received from this grateful m.an a pyramidal 
diamond of fabulous value, from which hung 
by a slender golden chain a huge pear-shaped 
pearl. 

The Duke, who had a passion for diamonds, 
immediately ordered a new and more minute 
search ; but as the treasure was not forthcom- 
ing, he renewed his visit and threats, telling 
Laurent he must produce the missing jewel or 
die on the spot. In vain the poor man swore 
he had never seen the diamond since his mis- 
tress wore it on her wedding-day ; the Duke 
refused to believe him. and angrily ordered him 
flung out of the window I Just then, however, 
a panel in the wall directly opposite Charles 
slipped noiselessly aside, revealing a deep niche 
in which stood a beautiful, stern-faced woman, 
gowned all in black, but wearing a dazzling 
diamond pendant. This woman stepped slowly 
forward, the panel closed behind her. and the 
Duke started back in terror when she threw 
the magnificent jewel at his feet, crying. — 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 6i 

" There, traitor, behold the diamond you 
covet ; but Stein's real treasures, his sorrowing 
wife and innocent daughter, will die by their 
own hand rather than fall into the power of 
such a miscreant as you ! " 

Then, before the Duke could recover suf- 
ficient presence of mind to speak or move, the 
Lady of Stein vanished behind the secret panel, 
and Charles could have believed himself victim 
of a delusion had not the jewel still sparkled 
at his feet. 

The Lady of Stein had vanished ; but the Bur- 
gundian now learned from Laurent that the two 
ladies were waiting, in the secret chambers of 
the castle, for an opportunity to escape to a 
convent, where both intended to take the veil, 
since he had broken their hearts by killing 
Stein. 

Charles, who had an eye for beauty, promptly 
reasoned that the daughter of such a handsome 
mother must be very lovely, and he began to 
devise an excuse to see her. He therefore 
artfully informed Laurent that Romont alone 
was to blame for Stein's death ; adding that his 
dearest wish was to provide a suitable husband 
for Elizabeth Stein, and that, in token of regard, 
he would give her her father's jewel as wedding 
present. Then he persuaded Laurent to carry 



62 Legends of Switzerland 



a message to his stern mistress and induce her 
to come down into the great hall of the castlcj 
where he would await her. 

The Duke 'having departed, Laurent touched 
a cunningly hidden spring, and threaded his 
way along secret passages which led from tower 
to tower, down long, narrow stairs, and into a 
passageway opening out on the lake. In one 
of these recesses he found his mistress^ who 
finally consented to appear before Charles with 
her seventeen-year-old daughter Elizabeth. 

The moment Charles's eyes rested upon this 
lovely maiden, he was seized with a mad pas- 
sion, which he determined to gratify at any 
cost. His first move was to try and gain the 
good graces of both women, but in spite of all 
his protestations and courteous speeches, the 
Lady of Stein declared he must prove his inno- 
cence by punishing her husband's murderer, 
adding that her daughter would either marry 
her father's avenger or become a nun. 

On hearing these words, Charles gave im- 
mediate orders to seize Romont and have him 
beheaded in the presence of both ladies. A 
few moments later, therefore, the Count stood 
in the castle yard ; but when the executioner 
read aloud his death sentence, he boldly de- 
clared he was neither a murderer nor a traitor, 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 63 

and that he could prove his innocence, were 
the guest in his tent only allowed to appear 
with him before Charles. Anxious to seem 
just and generous in the eyes of the ladies, the 
Duke granted this request, and the brave young 
James of Romont soon came in, followed by a 
man in full armour. 

" My lord Duke/' cried Romont, I am not 
a traitor! I have merely been guilty of dis- 
obeying an order which I knew you would 
regret in time. You accuse me of being Stein's 
murderer ; that is impossible, for, behold 1 there 
he stands I " 

At that moment the stranger to whom 
Romont pointed threw up his vizor, and both 
ladies rapturously flew into his arms, thus 
proving his unmistakable identity. The first 
outburst of emotion over, Stein told his wife 
and daughter how generously Romont had 
treated him, and Charles winced when he 
heard them express their undying gratitude, 
and saw the glances exchanged by the young 
people, who had fallen in love with each other 
at first sight. 

To rid himself of the youthful saviour who 
found such evident favour in Elizabeth's eyes, 
Charles now sternly ordered Romont back to 
prison, saying he must prove himself innocent 



64 



Legends of Switzerland 



of the charge of treachery which had also been 
brought against him. 

Sure of speedy acquittal, — for he was the soul 
of honour, — Romont quietly allowed himself 
to be led away to a dungeon, where he beguiled 
the weary hours by long day-dreams, and by 
composing and singing tender love-songs in 
praise of the fair Elizabeth. 

In the meantime, Charles led the Stein family 
to his own camp, where he assigned them 
sumptuous tents, and surrounded them with 
all manner of graceful attentions. But in spite 
of all his efforts to win their confidence, Stein 
and his wife could not help suspecting he was 
not so good and true as he would fain appear. 
For this reason they both watched carefully 
over their daughter, and the Duke could not 
secure a moment's private intercourse with her, 
although he frequently tried to do so. 

This watchfulness vexed Charles greatly ; for 
while he loved the girl, he had no intention of 
marrying her, but he knew her parents would 
detect his evil intentions should he approach her 
through them. 

One day, he accidentally learned that Romont 
managed to send love-songs to the fair Eliza- 
beth, and that her parents unconsciously en- 
couraged her secret passion for the young 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 



65 



prisoner by speaking of him in terms of the 
highest praise. Thinking he might perchance 
win Elizabeth by working upon her fears for 
Romont's safety, the Duke now informed Stein 
that he would forgive and release the prisoner, 
provided Elizabeth interceded in his behalf, and 
if he were allowed to make sure of her real 
sentiments in a private interview. 

Although loath to lose sight of his daughter 
even for a minute, Stein felt too deeply in 
Romont's debt to refuse this apparently simple 
request, and himself conducted Elizabeth to the 
Duke's tent, where he bade her enter while he 
mounted guard at the door. 

The timid Elizabeth therefore presented her- 
self alone before Charles, who gently reassured 
her, and then explained that if she would only 
consent to be his, Romont should be released, 
but that if she refused, the young man should 
be put to death. 

At first the virtuous Elizabeth could not credit 
her ears, but when the Duke drew near as if to 
clasp her in his arms, she fled to her father 
crying, — 

*^ Take me away, father I The poor prisoner 
we love will have to die, but I know he would 
rather lose his life than see me dishonoured 1 " 

Stein gnashed his teeth on hearing these 
5 



66 Legends of Switierland 



words, which more than confirmed his darkest 
suspicions ; and while he gently led his weeping 
daughter back to her mother, he tried to plan 
how best to avenge this deadly insult. 

In the meantime, the Duke feverishly paced 
his tent, and calling for his confidant asked him 
what course he could pursue to recover the 
maiden's confidence and still attain his evil ends. 
This man, whose task it was to gratify the 
Duke's passions, now artfully suggested that 
Charles should declare he had merely wished 
to test Elizabeth's virtue, and should propose 
to her parents that she marry Romont without 
delay. Then, under pretext of sparing the 
latter the hard duty of fighting against his 
wife's people, Charles was to dismiss Romont 
from the army. 

But while he thus openly posed as the young 
people's friend and benefactor, one of his emis- 
saries was to persuade a few of the camp fol- 
lowers that Romont was a traitor, and instigate 
them to create a disturbance when the bridal 
party left the church. In the midst of the 
confusion a hired assassin could easily kill 
Romont ; and the Duke, in pretending to avenge 
his death and protect Elizabeth, would gain 
possession of his vast estates and of his young 
widow, who would then be at his mercy. 



Legends of Vaud and Valais 67 

This artful plan so pleased Charles that he 
immediately hastened to the Steins' tent, where 
he played his part with such consummate skill 
that they believed all he said, and joyfully con- 
sented to their daughter's immediate marriage. 

The preparations were speedily made, and 
the nuptials solemnised ; but as the little pro- 
cession left the church. Stein and the Duke 
were detained for a moment by a man with a 
petition. 

Romont, proudly leading his peerless young 
bride, on whose bosom sparkled the famous 
diamond, suddenly found himself surrounded 
by a brawling troop of soldiers, who angrily 
shook their fists at him and denounced him as 
a traitor. Before he could speak one word in 
his own defence, the hired assassin sprang for- 
ward with raised dagger, crying, " Die, thou 
traitor ! " 

Just then Elizabeth sprang forward, and the 
sharp blade had to pass through her slender body 
before it could touch Romont. A scene of 
indescribable confusion ensued ; but although 
Romont swiftly carried his dying bride into her 
mother's tent, where every care was lavished 
upon her, she lived only long enough to 
whisper, I die happy since I could save you, 
beloved I " and gently breathed her last. 



68 Legends of Swit:{erland 



When the fatal truth dawned upon the frantic 
bridegroom, he fell fainting across his dead 
bride ; and it was only then that they discovered 
that he too had been wounded, for his doublet 
was drenched with blood. Nobly forgetting 
her own sorrow to minister to her husband's 
saviour, the Lady of Stein nursed Romont so 
carefully that in spite of his longing to follow 
Elizabeth's pure spirit into the better land, 
he was soon restored to health. But he never 
forgot his bride, and when her parents ulti- 
mately died, he left his own country to take 
up his abode in a foreign land. 

As for the Duke, he was sorely punished for 
all his crimes. Not only did he lose Elizabeth, 
whom he passionately loved ; but a few days 
after her death he was defeated by her coun- 
trymen at the battle of Grandson. Such was 
the fury of that Swiss onslaught, that Charles 
would have fallen into their hands had not his 
fleet steed swiftly carried him out of their reach. 
A few months later he suffered a second crush- 
ing defeat at their hands at Morat; and he was 
slain near Nancy, in the following year, while 
trying to escape from his Swiss foes for the 
third and last time. 



FRIBOURG 



n^HE city of Fribourg, capital of the canton 
of the same name, is picturesquely situ- 
ated on a rocky height almost surrounded by 
the Sarine, one of the tributaries of the Aare. 
A mediaeval town, it boasts of many interesting 
relics, while in its cathedral stands the great 
modern organ known the world over. 

When Charles the Bold experienced his 
second appalling defeat at Morat, in 1476, one 
of the Swiss soldiers volunteered to carry the 
joyful tidings to Fribourg, his native city. Al- 
though he had fought bravely and was very 
weary after his almost superhuman efforts, he 
snatched a green twig from a neighbouring lime- 
tree, stuck it in his hat so that his people could 
see from afar this sign of victory, and quickly 
started for home. Tradition claims that he ran 
every step of the way ; the fact is, he reached 
the city so exhausted that he sank down lifeless 
as soon as the one word Victory " had escaped 
from his parched lips. 

His fellow-citizens were so proud of this 
victory, and of the messenger who brought the 



70 Legends of Switzerland 



news so quickly to them, that they planted 
the lime twig on the very spot w^here he 
had fallen. There it throve and grew, until 
it is now a mighty tree, %vith a boll fourteen 
feet in circumference ; and it still serves as a 
green monument of this famous triumph of the 
Swiss army. 

The whole valley of the Sarine and its tribu- 
taries is most picturesque, and the soil so fertile 
that it supports countless heads of the finest cat- 
tle in the world. After passing the quaint little 
mediaeval town of Romont, with its old castle 
and fortifications, you come to a hill in the 
middle of the Sarine valley on which rises the 
famous castle of Gruyere, recently restored, and 
now one of the most beautiful show places in 
Sw^itzerland. 

The view from Gruyere is most charming, 
and includes not only the winding course of 
the Sarine^ and the green hills dotted v\dth the 
herds, — which furnish the renowned Swiss or 
Gruyere cheese, — but beyond rise rocky pine- 
clad mountains, the most important of which is 
the Moleson. 

The founding of the castle of Gruyere is at- 
tributed to Gruerius, a captain in the Thebaid 
legion, who, escaping martyrdom in the days 
of Diocletian, fied into the mountains. After 



Prihourg 



71 



threading his way through the dense forests 
which then clothed these grassy hills, he finally 
reached the point where the castle now stands. 
There^ helped by other fugitive Christians, he 
began to clear away the primeval forest, and 
founded the castle and town which bear his 
name. 

Gruy^re thus became the cradle of a new 
race, which, constantly increasing in wealth and 
power, soon ruled over a vast extent of land 
peopled by many vassals. The Counts of 
Gruy^re were in general good masters ; and 
the land, carefully tilled by their dependants, 
grew more and more productive, until many 
villages dotted the country, while the tinkle 
of cow-bells was heard for miles around. 

In the days of the Crusades, many knights 
passed this castle on their way to the Holy 
Land ; and the Counts of Gruydre, assuming the 
cross too, joined them with the fatalistic cry, 
"Go we must, return who may!" (S'agit 
d'aller, reviendra qui pourra I ") 

In spite of their wealth and extensive posses- 
sions, the Counts of Gruyere were none too 
well informed, for we are told they naively 
asked their companions whether the sea they 
had to cross on their way to Palestine could 
possibly be as large as the stretch of water 



72 Legends of Switzerland 



they had seen in making a pilgrimage to the 
shrine of Our Lady of Lucerne. 

Toward the end of the fourteenth century, 
Margaret, Countess of Gruyere, was very sad, 
because, although she had already been married 
several years, Providence had not yet vouch- 
safed her a child. In her anxiety to obtain 
offspring, this fair Countess consulted the as- 
trologers and other fortune-tellers who visited 
the castle ; but as their promises afforded her 
very little satisfaction, she soon resorted to 
pilgrimages, fasting, and long seasons of fer- 
vent prayer. 

All the pilgrims who stopped at the castle, on 
their way to and from the shrines at Einsiedlen 
and Lucerne, were entertained with the utmost 
hospitality at Gruyere, and when they departed 
the Countess invariably loaded them with gifts, 
gently begging them to intercede for her when 
they reached the goal of their pilgrimage. 

Garbed like a nun, in the plainest of home- 
spun dresses, the Countess diligently visited the 
poor and sick, helped the needy, and was so 
good and charitable to all that she was revered 
throughout the country like a saint. Besides, 
every night and morning, she spent hours on her 
knees in the castle chapel, imploring the Virgin 
and all the saints to grant her her heart's desire. 



Fribourg 



73 



One evening, when twilight was fast merging 
into darkness, she still lingered there on her 
knees, weeping bitterly because hitherto all her 
prayers had remained unanswered. Absorbed in 
sorrowful thoughts, and uttering broken words 
of supplication between her sobs, the Countess 
failed to notice the entrance of a lame beggar 
who had often been the recipient of her bounty. 

The sound of suppressed weeping and convul- 
sive prayer soon attracted the beggar's attention, 
and peering through the gloom, — which the 
taper burning on the altar only seemed to in- 
tensify, — he soon descried a woman clad in 
rough homespun. Lame Hans, whose sorest 
trial was an occasional lack of food, immediately 
concluded that this poor woman must be needy, 
and catching the word "children," he hastily 
drew some coarse bread and cheese out of his 
wallet, and laid it beside her, saying, — 

This is all I have, my poor woman, but the 
Holy Virgin's blessing resting upon it will en- 
able it to dry your tears." 

Then, before the astonished Countess could 
say a word, the lame man hobbled off ; and 
although he went to bed hungry, he felt a 
warm glow in the region of his heart whenever 
he pictured the zest with which the hungry 
children would devour his bread and cheese. 



74 Legends of Switzerland 



The Countess came out of the chapel a few 
moments after Hans, and as she returned to her 
apartments her servants marvelled at the radiant 
expression of her face, although it bore marks 
of recent tears. They were still more surprised 
when they saw her come forth in her richest 
apparel to welcome her husband and his friends 
on their return from the chase. Their amaze- 
ment was shared by the hunters, who gazed 
with unconcealed wonder at the hostess whom 
they had left in the morning pale, silent, and 
dejected, but who now seemed radiant with 
life and hope. 

Her unwonted vivacity charmed both hus- 
band and guests ; and when toward the end of 
the evening meal she begged leave to lay before 
them a new dish, they all received the proposal 
with joyful acclamations. At a sign from the 
fair chatelaine, her aged nurse and favourite 
page then brought in two covered silver dishes, 
which they gravely set before their master. 

All eyes were riveted on these vessels when 
the Count of Gruyere simultaneously raised both 
covers ; and his expression of disappointment 
was mirrored on every face, when instead of 
choice dainties nothing was seen but the 
coarse bread and cheese of the peasant popula - 
tion. Interrogative glances were therefore soon 



Fribourg 



75 



directed to the Countess, who with charming 
grace and simplicity related her adventure in the 
chapel and repeated the lame beggar's words. 
She concluded by saying that she now believed 
her prayers would be answered, and begged all 
present to partake with her of the food which 
had come to her in such a strange way. 
Touched by the tale she told, one and all 
solemnly ate the bread and cheese she gave 
them ; but her old nurse laid her share care- 
fully aside, saying she would partake of it only 
when her mistress's dearest wish had been 
fulfilled. 

Then the castle chaplain arose, filled all the 
beakers with wine, blessed them as solemnly as 
if he were about to celebrate a communion ser- 
vice, and all drank to the health of the gracious 
Countess and the speedy coming of a son and 
heir to the castle of Gruy^re. 

Within a year from that day the Stork brought 
a beautiful boy to the Countess, and at his 
christening feast many noble guests merrily 
drank his health. The Countess, radiant with 
happiness, bestowed bountiful alms upon all 
the poor, giving lame Hans a new suit of 
clothes^ and a pension to prevent his ever feel- 
mg the pangs of hunger again. 

In the midst of this feast the old nurse came 



76 Legends of Switzerland 



in and solemnly ate her carefully treasured share 
of Hans's bread and cheese. Then she made a 
deep curtsey to her mistress, saying, — 

" Gracious Lady, you see it is just as I al- 
ways told you. To the one who gives freely, 
much will be given. May God preserve you 
and your husband and grant your son a long, 
happy, and useful life at Gruyere 1 " 

From the castle and town of Gruyere one 
can enjoy a fine view of the Moleson, the high- 
est peak in that region, from whose summit can 
be seen the Lake of Geneva with Mont Blanc, 
the Dent du Midi, and the Diablerets to the 
south. West and east are the Jura and Titlis 
mountains, while to the north extends the fertile 
valley of the Sarine. 

Here on the Moleson, as well as on most 
mountain pastures in Switzerland, you can often 
hear the famous Ranz des Vaches, Kuhreihen, 
or musical call, which the cattle no sooner hear 
than they crowd around their herdsmen. 

This melody, repeated by the echoes, and 
accompanied by the ripple and splash of running 
waters, the tintinnabulations of cow-bells, and 
the lowing of the kine, has a peculiar charm for 
all who hear it, and in words runs about as 
follows : — 



Fribourg 



77 



"The herdsmen of the Colombettes 
At the dawn of day have risen ; 

Ha, ah ! ha, ah ! 
Cows, cows, to the milking come ! 
Come here, all of you. 
White ones and black ones, 
Red and brindled, 
Yomig ones, old ones, 
Under this oak-tree, 
Where I will milk you ; 
Under this poplar, 
Where I will drain you ! 
Cows, cows ! to the milking come 

The Mol^son was long the favourite field of 
the chamois-hunters in Fribourg. One of these 
men having been overtaken by darkness high up 
on the mountain, once sought refuge in a deserted 
herdsmen's hut. Drawing near it, he was sur- 
prised to hear the tinkle of bells, the lowing 
and stamping of cattle, and the voices of herds- 
men, for he knew the cows had already left 
the high pastures. Entering the hut, he was 
further amazed to see four queer, wizened- 
looking men, whose thumb and first and second 
fingers were missing. Besides, one of these 
men was lame, the second hunchbacked, the 
third had but one eye, and the fourth was 
apparently a leper. 

1 Poems of Places — Switzerland : Longfellow. 



78 Legends of Switzerland 



These men signed to him to take a seat near 
the fire, where they were busy making green 
cheese, of which, however, they had already a 
large store in the hut. 

The hunchback herdsman offered the guest 
bread and meat which looked so unpalatable 
that the hunter took but one mouthful and set 
the food aside, muttering that they must have 
forgotten the salt when preparing it. This re- 
mark so incensed his hosts that they began to 
gnash their teeth, and came toward him making 
such threatening gestures that in sudden terror 
the hunter made a sign of the cross. At that 
moment herdsmen, cheese, cows, and fire van- 
ished, and the chamois-hunter found himself 
alone in the deserted hut. 

But when he told his night adventure at 
home, he learned that a small piece of meat had 
been cut out of the left hind quarter of his 
best cow. One of the oldest inhabitants of the 
village, moreover, informed him that the men 
whom he had seen were wicked herdsmen, who 
had neglected their duties while in the flesh, 
and had besides been guilty of perjury. In 
punishment for their wickedness, they had not 
only lost the three fingers upheld in taking 
an oath, but were condemned to atone for 
past laziness by working hard every night. 



LEGENDS OF NEUCHATEL 



YOUNGER son of one the Counts of 



Neutchatel, wishing to found a family of 
his own, went to settle in 1 1 ^ 5 in the picturesque 
Val de Ruz in the Jura mountains. Here he 
selected a tali and jagged rock, washed by the 
Seyon, as the site of his new stronghold, the 
Castle of Vallangin. Owing to its position, it 
was almost impregnable ; but it was a very dismal 
abode, for the heights of Chaumont at the 
south overshadowed it, cutting off much sun- 
light, while the dense pine forests around it did 
not tend to lessen the gloom. 

The Val de Ruz was so fertile, however, that 
the lords of Vallangin soon grew rich and power- 
ful, ruling wisely over the many peasants who 
came to settle there under their protection. 
At the end of the thirteenth century their 
vassals already numbered many thousands, and 
included all classes of society. 

RoUin, lord of Vallangin, was but sixteen years 
of age, when two of his most powerful vassals 
renounced their allegiance to him and prepared 




So Legends of Switzerland 



to despoil him of his property. With that end 
in view, they armed their retainers and sallied 
forth to attack their young master. The friends 
of the latter, however, getting wind of this plot, 
hastily assembled the noblemen, clergy, and 
peasants who were still faithful to their lord, 
and consulting with them took active measures 
to meet and conquer the foe. Young Rollin 
himself, supported by the lords of Neuchatel, 
of Colombiers, and of Vauxtravers, set out at 
the head of his army, and meeting the two faith- 
less lords on the plain of Coffrane, defeated their 
forces in pitched battle, and secured the persons 
of the recreant vassals. 

Many men perished on both sides in this 
encounter ; and hundreds of years later, a staff 
of command lost in this battle was ploughed up 
by a farmer and placed in the Museum of Neu- 
chatel, where it is carefully preserved as a relic 
of the fight. 

Rollin, having seized the faithless vassals, 
had them brought before him, and sternly in- 
formed them that in his anger at hearing of their 
treachery, he had vowed nothing short of two 
heads would ever satisfy him. At these words 
the guilty lords trembled and grew pale, for 
they felt their last hour was near. Their despair 
was such that when Rollin bade them reveal 



Legends of Netichdtel 



8i 



the place where they had concealed their treas- 
ures, they offered no resistance, but meekly 
obeyed. Before long, therefore^ two huge 
heaps of silver lay at RoUin's feet. He gazed 
at them a few moments in silence, then addressed 
the culprits, saying : 

" I swore I would have two heads, and this 
solemn vow cannot be recalled. But, as I have 
never yet sentenced a guilty man to death, I am 
loath to shed your blood. I will therefore spare 
you, on condition that two silver heads be cast 
from this metal, to take the place of those which 
you have forfeited, but which I allow you to re- 
tain. You shall also recover your freedom and 
go home in peace, but I hereby warn you that 
should you ever prove faithless again it will be 
bloody and not bloodless heads which I will 
claim! " 

The delinquent lords, happy to escape their 
death sentence, solemnly presented two heavy 
silver heads to the young lord of Vallangin. 
These were placed by his order on the high 
altar of the collegiate church at Neuchatel, 
where they remained until the days of the 
Reformation, when an ignorant iconoclast, 
deeming them idols, removed them from the 
altar. Since then no trace of the silver busts 
has been seen. 

6 



82 Legends of Swit;(erland 



Early in the fourteenth century, some of the 
vassals of the lord of Vallangin went to settle 
in the lovely valleys of the Jura Mountains, 
where, joined by a few families from Burgundy, 
they founded Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds. 
These two colonies speedily increased in num- 
bers and wealth, and the towns thus founded are 
now important centres for the manufacture of 
watches and jewelry. 

Many of the people of the Canton of Neu- 
chatel having turned Protestant, Wilhelmine 
of Bergy, grandmother of one of the lords of 
Vallangin, a stanch Catholic, sadly forsook the 
castle which she had entered as a happy young 
bride, to go and live like a hermit in the village 
of Gezard, which was her dowry. 

This lady, already eighty years of age, was 
lamed by gout and quite feeble, but she never- 
theless took great interest in the peasants around 
her, whom she often visited and frequently 
helped by her good advice. 

One day, sitting among the women of the 
village who were diligently spinning, she heard 
them comment bitterly upon their sad lot, saying 
it was very hard that among all the fields they 
tilled, there was not a single acre which they 
could call their very own and which was entirely 
free from taxation. 



Legends of Neuchdtel 83 



Emboldened by the kindly interest the old 
iady showed in their remarks, they finally ven- 
tured to beg her to give them part of her land, to 
have and to hold without being asked for tithes 
or rent in exchange. Wilhelmine, who could 
not dispose of the land otherwise, then said : 

" My good women, your request shall be 
granted. You shall have one half of the land 
which I can walk around in one day." Saying 
these words, the old lady painfully rose from her 
seat, and tottered slowly back to her humble 
dwelling. 

The peasant women, whose hearts had swelled 
with joy at her first words, but whose hopes 
had been shattered by the conclusion of her 
speech, sadly watched her limp out of sight, 
and then murmured regretfully, — 

*'The poor mistress is so old and weak, that 
with the best intentions in the world, she will 
hardly be able to creep around a single acre I " 

Early the next morning, while darkness yet 
veiled the landscape, and the nightingale's song 
still pulsated in the quiet air, Wilhelmine of 
Bergy painfully rose from her couch, and set 
out on her self-appointed journey, supported on 
one side by a trusty staff and on the other by 
a strong young servant maid. 

The two women slowly crept out into the dark- 



84 



Legends of Switzerland 



ness, and wandering along the dewy meadows 
saw the night gradually make way before the 
first gleams of silvery light. Then they beheld 
the mountain tops change from blue to silver 
gray, then turn dazzling white, and suddenly blush 
and glow beneath the first rays of the rising sun. 

The larks rose straight up into the blue, 
singing their triumphant morning hymn ; the 
bees and butterflies hovered around them, but 
all the lovely sights and sounds of early morn 
could not beguile the old lady to take even 
a moment's rest, and she hobbled bravely 
on. The peasants, rising from their hard beds 
to partake of frugal fare before beginning a 
long day's work, stared in speechless amaze- 
ment at their aged mistress, already well on her 
way, and gazed anxiously at the feeble form, 
wondering how long her strength and energy 
would last. 

All through the bright morning hours, Wil- 
helmine plodded on without a pause ; and it 
was only when the sun stood directly over- 
head, that she stopped for a moment under a 
tree to partake of food and of strengthening 
drink. Then, while the peasants stretched out 
in the cool shade to enjoy their midday rest, 
the old lady again stepped out into the quiver- 
ing sunshine to continue her task. All through 



Legends of Neuchdtel 



85 



the glowing heat of afternoon, and long after 
the sun had set and the shades of evening had 
fallen, Wilhelmine crept on with faltering steps 
and ebbing strength, but with undiminished 
energy and determination. Darkness had long 
set in when she finally reached the village once 
more, and entering a hut where burned a small 
rushlight, and where the people had assem- 
bled by her order, she cried in weak but joyful 
accents, — 

" My children, I have walked around a thou- 
sand acres ! Five hundred of these belong to 
you, free from all taxes from this time forth. 
Do not blame me if your share is somewhat 
small, for I have done all I could to help you, 
but alas 1 although my spirit is willing, my aged 
feet could carry me no farther." 

Having said these words, old Wilhelmine 
tottered back to her own house, where she lay 
down so exhausted that she never found the 
strength to rise from her bed again. But the 
people whom she had benefited never ceased 
to be grateful to her ; and when she died, in 
1 543, . six years after this wonderful walk, they 
mournfully followed her to her last resting- 
place, shedding abundant tears while softly 
reminding each other of the many steps taken 
in their behalf by her weary old feet. 



86 Legends of Switzerland 



Until the end of the eighteenth century, the 
city of Neuchatel boasted a ghost whose ap- 
parition was the invariable precursor of a con- 
flagration in town. Shortly before any signs of 
fire were perceptible, this spectral old woman 
passed swiftly along the streets, frantically 
wringing a cloth all dripping with blood until 
she vanished in a lurid mist in the direction of 
the lake. 

No one now living remembers ever having 
seen this ghost, but old people in Neuchatel 
solemnly aver that the woman was frequently 
seen by their ancestors, and that a fire always 
broke out shortly after her visit. They add 
that the ghost was the unfortunate widow of 
Walter, Count of Rochefort, publicly accused 
of forgery, and beheaded, in 141 2, on the shores 
of the lake, on the very spot where the wraith 
always melted away in a crimson cloud. It is 
said that the Count's widow, having secured 
his blood-stained shirt, constantly exhibited it 
to her sons, urging them to avenge their father, 
who, according to her assertions, had been 
wrongfully accused, and condemned without 
sufficient proof of guilt. 

The implacable widow finally prevailed upon 
these young men to take a fearful revenge by 
secretly setting fire to the city ; and it is a 



i 



Legends of Neuchdtel 87 



fact that Neuchatel was almost destroyed by 
what is known as the great conflagration of 
1450. Since then, either through remorse or 
to parade her spite, the old woman's spectre 
heralded every conflagration, until, weary of 
destruction, or frightened away by effective 
modern methods of fighting fires, she ceased 
to haunt the city and frighten the inhabitants. 

D. J. Richard started the manufacture of 
watches in Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds, 
but the principal legend relating to that indus- 
try refers to Jacques Droz, the clever inventor 
of mechanical clocks, of music boxes, and of a 
writing automaton. 

We are told that in the eighteenth century, 
the King of Spain once came to La Chaux-de- 
Fonds, and having heard of Jacques Droz's 
clever contrivances, went with his suite to visit 
the inventor's workshop. There the King ex- 
amined everything, and was particularly charmed 
by a clock upon which stood figures of a negro, 
a shepherd, and a dog. Whenever the clock 
struck, the shepherd played a soft air upon his 
pipe, while his dog frisked joyfully around him. 

This artistic contrivance so delighted both 
King and courtiers, that one and all loudly ex- 
pressed their wonder and admiration. Jacques 



88 Legends of Switzerland 



Droz listened quietly to their exclamations, then 
turning to the King, he smilingly informed him 
that the tiny dog was the faithful guardian of 
his master's property, as could readily be seen 
if any one attempted to lay hands upon the 
apples in a basket at the shepherd's feet. 

The King, wishing to test the dog's watchful- 
ness, now attempted to abstract an apple, but 
no sooner had he touched it than the mechani- 
cal dog began to bark with such fury that the 
royal pet hound, springing forward, answered 
him. The monarch, startled by this unexpected 
development, stepped back in amazement, while 
his suite fled, making repeated signs of the 
cross. None of the Spanish grandees, with 
the exception of the minister of the navy, re- 
mained in the shop, so when the King had 
recovered from his momentary fright, he laugh- 
ingly bade that official ask the negro what time 
it was, adding that after the wonders they had 
seen, it would not surprise him in the least to 
hear the darky talk. The minister, therefore, 
politely inquired the time of day, but as the 
question was put in Spanish, he received no 
reply until Jacques Droz suggested that he 
should repeat it in French, for the negro under- 
stood no other tongue. 

The minister therefore translated his question 



Legends of Neuchdtel 89 



with a somewhat sceptical smile, but when the 
negro courteously answered: "Messieurs, il 
est trois heures moins un quart 1 (Gentle- 
men, it is a quarter of three "), he too bolted 
from the room in terror, crying that the clock 
must be the work of the Evil One himself ! 

The legend claims that the King of Spain 
purchased this wonderful piece of mechanism, 
but we are told that Jacques Droz merely con- 
structed musical clocks for him. The Span- 
iards, however, were not the only ones who 
fancied the watchmaker had made a pact with 
Satan, for his own countrymen used to look 
askance at him, and frequently averred that he 
was a sorcerer. 

The watchmaking industry has long been the 
great source of gain in western Switzerland, 
and clocks and watches are shipped from there 
to all parts of the world. The valleys of Le 
Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds being very near 
the frontier, watches and jewelry are constantly 
smuggled into France over the mountain paths 
to avoid paying duty upon them. 

In the days of post chaises, this smuggling 
assumed such proportions that the chief of the 
French police determined to make a special 
effort to check it. He therefore journeyed in 



90 



Legends of Switzerland 



person to Switzerland, and visiting one of the 
largest manufactories, selected a case full of 
fine watches. He then bargained with the 
manufacturer to pay for the goods only on con- 
dition that they were delivered free from duty 
at a certain address in Paris, and solicitously 
inquired whether the dealer thought he could 
pass them across the boundary safely? The 
merchant smilingly answered that the job pre- 
sented no insurmountable difficulties, and took 
leave of his customer, promising that the watches 
should reach Paris as quickly as he did. 

The chief of police, delighted with this an- 
swer, went back to the inn, where he gave 
orders to prepare for immediate departure. 
Seated in his carriage and rolling rapidly home- 
ward, he congratulated himself upon the cleVer 
way in which he had managed ; for all the cus- 
tom-house officers had been duly warned to 
guard the frontier with special care, as a large 
number of watches were to be smuggled over 
within the next twenty-four hours. Their zeal 
had further been stimulated by the promise of 
a large reward should they secure watches and 
lawbreaker, while speedy punishment was to be 
the lot of any man who allowed them to escape. 

At the frontier, the chief of police made a 
short halt, and thrusting his head out of the 



Legends of Neuchdtel 



91 



carnage window, again admonished the officer 
there to be very vigilant. The latter, promptly 
recognising his superior, confidently answered 
that not a squirrel should cross the frontier un- 
seen, for all along the line were posted men 
eager to secure the promised reward. 

Satisfied by this assurance, the chief of police 
now gave orders to drive on, and journeyed 
straight to Paris, stopping on his way only 
long enough to change horses or partake of 
hasty meals. 

When he entered his own house, although 
worn out by the long and fatiguing journey, 
his first question was whether a parcel had 
arrived for him from Switzerland. His ser- 
vants promptly denied having seen anything of 
the sort, so the chief of police threw himself 
down in an armchair, gleefully exclaiming : 
"Then my men have managed to intercept it 
at the frontier, and we will make such an 
example of the smugglers that none will ven- 
ture to continue this business I " 

His satisfaction did not last long, however, 
for, upon entering his bedroom, he saw resting 
upon the top of the rest of his luggage a case, 
which, upon investigation, was found to con- 
tain the very watches he had purchased in 
Switzerland. 



92 Legends of Switzerland 



In his anger, the chief of police hotly in- 
quired of his servants how the parcel had come 
there ; but none could give him any information, 
further than that it had probably been brought 
in vi^ithout their notice by one of the men called 
to attend to his luggage. 

The chief of police, angrier than ever, w^rote 
scathing letters to all the custom-house officers, 
vjho one and all declared they w^ere ready to 
stake their lives and reputations that no one, 
except himself, had crossed the frontier with- 
out being subjected to a thorough search. 

Still hoping to secure the man who had deliv- 
ered the parcel in Paris, and of reaching the 
smugglers through him, the chief of police now 
sent for his coachman, to ask him whether he 
had seen any one carry the case of watches 
into his house. To his amazement the coach- 
man immediately replied, — 

" Indeed I did. I gave it to the man myself, 
and was very glad to see the last of it, I can tell 
you 1 " 

This answer astounded his master, who, 
upon asking for an explanation, learned that 
while the coachman was preparing the carriage 
for departure in the inn yard at La Chaux-de- 
Fonds, one of the waiters had suddenly ap- 
peared with a box, saying his master wished 



Legends of Neuchdtel 



93 



him to stow it away under his seat and keep 
it safely out of sight of every one until they 
reached Paris. He added that the case con- 
tained articles of great value which the chief 
feared might else fall into the hands of high- 
waymen, who of course would not dream of 
looking under the coachman's seat for anything 
but oats. Thus cautioned, the coachman had 
carefully hidden the box away ; but throughout 
the journey he had refused to lose sight of the 
carriage for an instant, lest his master's secret 
should be discovered, and his property stolen. 

On receiving this explanation, the chief of 
police made a wry face, for he now perceived 
how cleverly he had been outwitted by the 
watchmaker. The latter, having discovered his 
customer's identity in some mysterious way, 
had defeated his purpose by bribing one of the 
inn waiters to give the box to the coachman, 
thus making the chief of police unconsciously 
smuggle his own goods across the frontier I 

Another story runs that a Swiss naturalist 
often crossed the frontier at Pontarlier, where 
he was greatly annoyed by a cross and over- 
zealous French custom-house officer. The 
latter, for some inscrutable reason, had con- 
ceived an intense dislike to the Swiss savant, 



94 



Legends of Switzerland 



whose luggage he always examined with exag- 
gerated care, although the naturalist was well 
known as a man of unimpeachable integrity. 

Exasperated by this rude treatment, the natu- 
ralist finally determined to give this disagreeable 
official a lesson which he would not be likely to 
forget in a hurry. The next time he stopped at 
Pontarlier, therefore, besides his usual baggage, 
he had a tightly closed box, which he handled 
with special care. 

In answer to the customary question, he truth- 
fully swore he had no dutiable goods with him, 
but the custom-house officer, who had singled 
him out as his victim, gruffly demanded his 
keys and proceeded to turn his trunk topsy 
turvy as usual. To his evident chagrin, not 
the tiniest object upon which he could exact 
payment was forthcoming, but leaving the 
owner to rearrange his tumbled garments as 
best he might, the officer took up the box, 
shook it hard, and asked what it contained. 

" Natural history specimens," quietly an- 
swered the naturalist. 

This reply elicited a contemptuous snort from 
the officer, who declared such a statement must 
be verified. The naturalist then protested 
vehemently, swore it contained nothing contra- 
band, and finally seeing that he could not 



Legends of Neuchdtel 95 



prevent the opening of the box, angrily 
cried, — 

*^Very well I Open the box if you choose, 
but don't blame me for the consequences 1 " 
and marched out of the office where the discus- 
sion had taken place, slamming the door behind 
him with marked emphasis. 

Left alone, the officer, armed with chisel and 
hammer, proceeded to tear off the cover of the 
box, out of which squirmed and tumbled a 
number of small snakes. 

With a wild cry of terror, the custom-house 
officer rushed out of the office, crying, ''Snakes, 
snakes I " but as he was often tipsy, or " lost 
his way in his master's vineyard," — as the 
local saying goes, — his companions would not 
believe him, and fancied he was the victim of a 
delusion natural to a man of his intemperate 
habits. 

But one of his comrades venturing boldly 
into the office to convince him of his mistake, 
came out again precipitately, crying that snakes 
were really crawling all over the floor 1 The 
naturalist now stepped forward, calmly offered 
to replace the reptiles — which were perfectly 
harmless — in their box, and added that he had 
warned the officer not to tamper with natural 
history specimens. 



96 Legends of Switzerland 



After that, the custom-house officers at Pon- 
tarlier were particularly careful how they handled 
this savant's luggage, and never again did they 
venture to raise the cover of any box when 
he told them that it contained materials for his 
collections. 



BERN 



HE little city of Erlach, or Cerlier^ on the 



Lake of Bienne, is romantically situated 
at the foot of the Jolimont, on which stand 
great rocks known as the Devil's Burden. We 
are told that his Infernal Highness brought 
these stones hither to crush the Christians at 
the foot of the mountain. But, turned aside 
by the hand of God, the blocks fell where they 
could do no damage, and now serve as pictu- 
resque features in the landscape. 

The castle of Erlach, founded in iioo by a 
bishop of Basel, was entrusted to the care of 
a governor, or bailiif , who made ruthless demands 
upon the time and strength of his master's 
vassals. No servant was ever strong and dili- 
gent enough to suit him ; and when a tall 
foreigner came to offer his services, the bailiff, 
noting his well-developed muscles, immediately 
said he would engage him provided he could 
lift the huge rock which stood at the castle gate. 

Picking up the stone with the utmost ease, 
the newcomer tossed it up as if it were a mere 
pebble, although its weight was such that it 
sank deep into the ground on the spot where 




7 



98 Legends of Switzerland 



it fell. This proof of strength fully satisfied the 
bailiff, who at first treated his new servant 
quite fairly. But as time went on, he exacted 
more and more, and once bade him take four 
horses and bring back to the castle a load of 
wood which twelve horses could not have drawn 
without great effort. 

The muscular servant nevertheless set out 
undaunted to fulfil this task, and finding one 
pair of horses inclined to balk, unharnessed 
them, tied them to the tail of the cart, and 
taking their place, pulled so vigorously that the 
load safely reached the foot of the hill leading 
to the castle. There, however, the second 
pair of horses stopped short, and refused to 
advance another step. The servant quickly 
unharnessed these, too, bound them on top of 
the wood, and single-handed drew wood, wagon, 
and horses up the hill, although the load was 
so heavy that the deep ruts it made in the rock 
road can still be seen to this day. 

When the bailiff beheld this new and startling 
proof of great strength, he was duly awed, and 
fearing the servant might prove troublesome 
some day, determined to get rid of him. With 
that purpose in view, he ordered a well dug, 
and when it was quite deep, made his men throw 
a huge stone down upon the strong' servant's 



Bern 



99 



head. To the general surprise, this man tossed 
the stone up out of the well again, muttering, 

Don't throw any more sand down into my 
eyes, or I '11 get mad." 

But looking up just then, he caught such an 
evil expression in the bailiff's eyes that he was 
seized with a sudden fit of blind rage. Scram^ 
bling out of the hole, he pursued the conscience- 
stricken bailiff into the castle ; and as neither 
man nor master were ever seen again, people 
suppose that the strong servant must have been 
an emissary of Satan, sent to carry their cruel 
master off to Hades, to receive due punishment 
for all his crimes. 

On the way from Basel to Bern, the train 
passes through a long tunnel piercing a hill 
upon which stand the ruins of Castle Grimmen- 
stein. This was once the home of so enthusi- 
astic a hunter, that he even broke the Sabbath 
to indulge in his favourite sport. His wife, a 
gentle and pious soul, once vainly besought him 
not to desecrate a particularly holy day of rest, 
but he nevertheless sallied forth, and after a long 
search came across a doe with its young. 

Although this gentle animal bravely tried to 
defend her offspring, the cruel hunter slew them 
all one after another. But, just as the doe 



loo Legends of Switzerland 



breathed her last, a giant sprang out of the 
ground, shook his fist vehemently at the Sab- 
bath-breaker, and exclaiming that the harmless 
animals were already avenged, vanished with 
them underground 1 

The lord of Grimmenstein, awed in spite of 
himself by these mysterious words and by the 
sudden disappearance of the quarry he had slain, 
gave up all thought of further hunting for that 
day and rode slowly home. But when he en- 
tered his wife's apartment, he found her and his 
children dying from the very wounds he had 
inflicted upon the gentle doe and her young. 

Ever since then, when war or pestilence 
threaten the land, the lord of Grimmenstein 
rises from his grave, blows a resonant blast upon 
his hunting-horn, and again sets out to range 
through woods and valleys in quest of game. 

Besides this hunter and Sabbath-breaker, 
almost every valley and hillside in Switzerland 
is said to be visited at times by some similar 
wraith, sweeping by on the wings of the wind. 
But the apparition which makes the most noise 
and causes most damage is undoubtedly that of 
Odin, the Wild Huntsman himself, who often 
rushes through the land with all his ghostly 
train of heathen deities.^ 

1 See the author's " Myths of Northern Lands." 



Bern 



lOI 



After passing through the Wynigen tunnel, the 
train soon comes to Burgdorf, an ancient and 
picturesque little city, with an old castle in which 
Pestalozzi established a school toward the end 
of the eighteenth century. 

Tradition relates that dense forests once cov- 
ered all this region, which was infested by wild 
beasts of all kinds, not omitting an immense, 
fire-breathing dragon, which had its abode in a 
cave in the hill on which Burgdorf castle now 
stands. 

Sintram and Baltram, the two sons of the 
Duke of Lenzburg, once penetrated into this 
wilderness in pursuit of game, and discovering 
the trail of this dragon, resolved to track him 
into his lair and rid the country of such a pest. 
But when they drew near the mouth of the 
cave, the dragon suddenly darted forth, and 
seizing Baltram, swallowed him at one gulp I 
At this sight Sintram boldly dismounted, drew 
his sword, and attacked the monster with such 
fury that he finally laid him low. Then, slitting 
him open, he had the good fortune to find his 
brother still alive and quite unharmed, thanks 
to the strong armour he wore. 

The brothers were so proud of their victory 
over the monster, and so grateful for their 
miraculous escape from its teeth and claws, that 



I02 Legends of Swit:{erland 



they built a chapel on this spot, dedicating it to 
St. Margaret, because she too once met and 
defeated a dragon. In this chapel they placed 
a picture representing their fight with the Burg- 
dorf monster, and as they soon founded the 
town and castle, their name and fame still en- 
dures in that section of the country. 

In the twelfth century, Burgdorf was the 
home of Berthold V. of Zahringen, who con- 
quered and brought into subjection the various 
nobles in the Bernese Oberland. He built 
Fribourg on his own land, and founded a new 
city on a rocky height almost entirely sur- 
rounded by the Aare. History claims that he 
called this town Bern, in honour of his favour- 
ite hero and ancestor, Dietrich of Bern (Ve- 
rona).^ But legend states that, not knowing 
what name to bestow upon the new city, he 
decided to call it after the first animal he slew 
in the chase. 

Sallying forth one day, he met and slew 
some bears {Bar en), and therefore called the 
city Bern. It is because the city is popularly 
supposed to have thus obtained its name, that 
there is a bear in its shield, and that these ani- 
mals are conspicuous there in every form. The 

^ See the author's ** Legends of the Middle Ages." 



Bern 



103 



most famous and imposing bears in Bern are 
the stone effigies which long stood on either 
side of the city gates, and which now guard the 
entrance to the Historical Museum ; but the 
most amusing are undoubtedly the live bears 
kept in a special pit. 

According to some authorities these animals 
are the descendants of a cub which the Duke 
of Zahringen brought back from his memorable 
hunting expedition ; according to others of a 
pair given to the town by Rene, Duke of Lor- 
raine. Besides, 'you may also hear it stated 
that a Swiss soldier brought home a couple of 
cubs as trophy after the battle of Novarre, in 
1^13, which were preserved in the city. In 
1798, General Brune carried off the Bern 
bears to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, and 
the present bruins are also said to have de- 
scended from those or from a pair imported 
from Russia. 

The city of Bern was laid out for the Duke 
by his henchman von Bubenberg, who, foresee- 
ing its importance, made it twice as large as he 
was told. The Duke in wrath then demanded 
what he meant by this disobedience, but von 
Bubenberg soon proved that he was right, for 
so many settlers poured into the new place that 
only a narrow space could be allotted for each 



I04 Legends of Switzerland 

house. All the buildings were made from the 
wood growing within the new city limits, which 
gave rise to the distich, — 

" Holz, lass' dich hauen gern, 
Die Stadt muss heissen Bern." 
(Wood, let yourself be felled readily, 
The city must be called Bern.) 

Bern became independent soon after its 
foundation, bravely withstood two sieges made 
by the redoubtable Rudolf von Hapsburg, and 
some time after defeating the Burgundian forces 
at Laupen, in 1339, joined the Swiss Confeder- 
ation, of which it is now the head. 

In the middle of the fifteenth century, the 
citizens began the construction of the beautiful 
cathedral, which, owing to lack of funds, re- 
mained incomplete for centuries and has only 
recently been crowned by its wonderful spire. 
In front of this building now stands the eques- 
trian statue of Rudolph von Erlach, the hero 
of Laupen ; but here, too, once stood a large 
wooden statue of St. Christopher. It was 
placed there after a silver communion service 
had been stolen from the cathedral, for the peo- 
ple believed that the giant saint would mount 
faithful guard over ecclesiastical property. But 
when in spite of his presence there, the com- 



Bern 



munion service again fell a prey to thieves, 
great indignation was felt in town. 

To punish St. Christopher for his lack of 
vigilance, he was banished to a niche in a tower 
bearing his name, where, as a further mark of 
disgrace, and because he stood directly oppo- 
site the fountain of David, he was dubbed 
Goliath. At that time a tradition was current 
in Bern that when St. Christopher heard the 
town clock strike the noon hour, he invariably 
rained weckli (local rolls) down upon the peo- 
ple. To fix this saying in the minds of a 
younger generation, a lady of the town ordered 
a large number of weckli cast down upon the 
waiting school children at the stroke of twelve, 
one day before the tower was razed and the 
statue removed. The benevolent woman who 
played this innocent trick upon the delighted 
little ones, celebrated her one-hundredth birth- 
day at Bern, in 1897, when the cathedral chimes 
pealed forth at noon a gay carillon in her honour. 

When the quaint Christopher tower was torn 
down, in the middle of the nineteenth century, 
the head of the gaudily coloured statue of the 
saint was removed to the city Museum, where 
it now forms part of a collection of local 
antiquities. 

South of the Cathedral, and extending all 



io6 Legends of Switzerland 



along one side of the building, is a beautiful 
broad terrace, commanding a marvellous view 
of the whole range of the Bernese Alps. On 
this shady place stands a fine statue of the 
founder of the city, with Bruin as his shield- 
bearer. At the edge of the terrace, set deep 
in the wall, is a tablet commemorating the mi- 
raculous escape of a student, whose frightened 
horse vaulted over the parapet in i6^. Theo- 
bald Weinzapfli, for such was the student's 
name, not only survived the fall which killed his 
steed, but became pastor of Kerzerz, where he 
died forty years later. 

From the terrace, besides the matchless back- 
ground of glaciers, there is a fine view of the 
pyramidal Niesen, darkly outlined against them, 
and of the winding Aare, which passes through 
the Lake of Brienz and that of Thun at the foot 
of this mountain. At one end of the Lake of 
Thun, where the Aare has its outlet, and less 
than an hour's railway journey from Bern, 
stands the picturesque little city of Thun, with 
its ancient castle. At the other extremity, on 
a narrow strip of land between the two lakes, 
rises Interlaken, the goal of all Swiss tourists. 

Legend claims that in the days when St. 
Peter was preaching in Rome, he converted 




THE OLD ST. CHRISTOPHER TOWER. 



Bern 



there an English traveller, who received in 
baptism the name of Beatus. Longing to pub- 
lish the good tidings he had received, this pious 
man set out from Rome, and preaching as he 
went, finally came to the shores of the Lake of 
Thun. There he found a large population of 
thrifty people still devoted to the Scandinavian 
religion practised by their ancestors. 

The spot was so lovely, and the task awaiting 
him so urgent, that Beatus resolved to make a 
prolonged sojourn ; but he was so busy caring 
for souls that he had no time to build himself a 
hut. He therefore determined to take up his 
abode in some cave, and searching for one 
which might answer his purpose, climbed the 
mountain on the north side of the lake. Far 
up the slope, he descried a large cavern, which 
he was about to enter. But he suddenly found 
himself face to face with a huge dragon, whose 
eyes were as big and round as cart-wheels, 
whose claws were as long and as hard as 
grappling-hooks, and whose long, tapering body 
and tail were covered with scales so thick that 
no weapon could pierce them 1 This monster 
lashed its tail, opened wide its capacious jaws, 
and spat forth such a torrent of fire and smoke 
that Beatus thought his last hour had surely 
come. Alone and unarmed, resistance was im- 



io8 Legends of Switzerland 

possible, and as flight would have been equally 
vain, Beatus commended his soul to God and 
made a hasty sign of the cross. 

At the same moment the monster crept back 
into its den with a cry of rage' and terror ; and 
Beatus, perceiving that it had quailed at the 
sign of the cross, immediately determined to 
use so potent a weapon to rid the country of 
this emissary of Satan. He therefore took up 
his post at the mouth of the Beatushohle, where 
he mounted guard night and day, fasting and 
praying persistently. The presence of this holy 
man, the constant sound of fervent supplication, 
and the sight of the awe-inspiring sign of the 
cross every time it moved, so worked upon 
the dragon's nerves, that it exploded on the 
eighth day, and vanished in a cloud of stink- 
ing smoke. 

The Evil One having thus departed, Beatus 
took possession of the cave, which he fitted 
out to serve as a hermitage. From one of the 
trees on the bank of the lake, he fashioned a 
rude skiff, in which he rowed from point to 
point along the shore, often preaching from his 
boat as his Master had done on the Sea of 
Galilee. 

By the blessing of God, Beatus' words bore 
rich fruit, and conversions became so numer- 



Bern 



ous that Satan was alarmed, and determined to 
make another attempt to kill or drive away the 
zealous missionary. He therefore stirred up 
fearful storms every time Beatus left his cave, 
caused brooks to swell and overflow whenever 
he tried to cross them, rolled rocks down the 
mountain to obstruct his pathway, and after 
many vain trials, succeeded in breaking his oars 
and making his poor skiff almost useless. 

One day, when Beatus came down to the 
lakeside, he perceived that the waves rose to 
such a height that it would be impossible for 
him to cross the lake to officiate at Einigen 
as he had promised. Loath to disappoint the 
faithful anxiously awaiting him, Beatus spread 
out his cloak upon the bank and sat down upon 
it, hoping that the storm stirred up by the Evil 
One would soon abate sufficiently to enable him 
to cross without imminent danger. 

While sitting there, inwardly praying, a gust 
of wind suddenly stole under his outspread 
cloak ; and a moment later Beatus found him- 
self soaring through the air, high over the toss- 
ing lake, and was soon gently deposited on the 
greensward near the little church. The people 
welcomed him gladly, listened to his teachings, 
and practised the Christian virtues so diligently 
that the place where they assembled for wor- 



no Legeiuis of Sziit{erland 



ship was soon known far and wide as Para- 
dise. 

The concourse of people there became daily 
greater, and as Beatus was often busy else- 
where, he bade his disciple Justus take charge 
of the services whenever he failed to appear at 
the appointed time. Now. it seems that while 
Beatus himself was very eloquent, his disciple 
was extremely prosy and long-winded ; and 
Satan, perceiving this, determined to claim, on 
the judgment day, the souls of all those who 
slept through the sermon and thus missed the 
final benediction. He therefore entered the 
little church at Einigen one Easter morning, 
seated himself directly under the pulpit, and 
spreading out a ram-skin on his lap, prepared 
to take down the names of all who dozed dur- 
ing the sen^ice. Although Beatus was ex- 
pected to preach on that day, and an unusually 
large congregation was present, he had not yet 
appeared when the little bell ceased ringing ; 
so Justus mounted the pulpit and began to 
expound the Scriptures in his stead. 

The place was overcrowded, the weather 
quite warm : and as the vrorthy man's teachings 
were even more uninteresting than usual, one 
auditor after another nodded and slept. Beatus, 
who had been detained by a v^'ork of mercy, 



Bern 



III 



slipped unperceived into the church shortly after 
the sermon had begun, and seating himself mod- 
estly in a corner, lent a reverent and attentive 
ear to his colleague's halting discourse. 

Looking up, however, he suddenly became 
aware of the fact that the whole congregation 
was fast asleep, and that the Evil One was 
jotting down their names with fiendish glee. 
While Beatus was hesitating whether to be 
guilty of the sin of disturbing divine service 
by making a noise which would wake the im- 
prudent sleepers, or whether he should leave 
their souls in such a dangerous predicament 
without making an effort to save them, he 
perceived that the Devil had almost reached 
the bottom of his ram-skin, and had not space 
enough left to inscribe all the remaining names. 

At that very moment the Devil became aware 
of the selfsame fact, but, notoriously quick at 
devising expedients, he immediately seized the 
skin between his teeth, and began tugging at it 
with all his might so as to stretch it sufficiently 
to serve his purpose. In his haste he gave a 
jerk which, tearing the skin, threw his head 
backward, hitting the pulpit such a resonant 
bang that every man, woman, and child in the 
congregation awoke with a start. 

Beatus, the only one who had seen the acci- 



1 1 2 Legends of Switzerland 



dent, disgraced himself by laughing aloud ; and 
the Devil, perceiving he had defeated his own 
ends, flounced angrily out of the church, and 
vanished with a yell, while the people sank on 
their knees and frantically prayed to be forgiven 
for yielding to fatigue. 

Beatus, we are told, was duly punished for 
laughing in church, for when he again spread 
out his mantle, expecting to be wafted across 
the lake, as usual, it remained stationary, and 
although he ultimately died in the odour of 
sanctity and was duly canonised, he ever after 
had to resort to ordinary means of transporta- 
tion. The cave in which Beatus dwelt on the 
Beatenberg, and which still bears his name, 
has been uninhabitable since his day. From 
its mouth now pours forth a noisy stream during 
the spring months, and after heavy falls of rain. 

Many steamboats daily furrow the lake over 
which St. Beatus was wont to fly on his mantle ; 
and after passing the romantic town of Ober- 
hofen, directly opposite Einigen, where Justus 
preached, they come to Spiez, where stands a 
tower of the old castle of Strattlingen. A lord 
of that name is said to have been suddenly con- 
verted, while out hunting, by the sight of a stag 
bearing a luminous crucifix between its wide 



Bern 



antlers. During the Christian persecutions 
under Hadrian, this Strattlingen took refuge in 
Burgundy, where he greatly distinguished him- 
self during a quarrel with France. 

It seems that the two kings had decided that 
their difference should be settled by a duel be- 
tween champions of their selection. The king 
of France, however, produced a giant so strong 
that no Burgundian dared meet him ; and when 
Strattlingen volunteered to fight, the king of 
Burgundy was duly grateful. 

Reaching the lists before his antagonist, 
Strattlingen sat down to await his coming, 
which he dreaded so little that he quietly fell 
asleep. When the giant came, he gazed in 
angry astonishment at a rival snoring as peace- 
fully five minutes before the redoubtable en- 
counter as if he were merely taking a nap 
before dinner. Convinced that some miracle 
lay behind this marvellous composure, the giant 
gazed at his foe more closely still, and declared 
himself ready to acknowledge his defeat with- 
out striking a blow, because the Archangel 
Michael stood beside the sleeping champion, 
ready to battle for him. 

In reward for the great victory thus won in 
his sleep, the Burgundian king gave Strattlingen 
his daughter's hand in marriage, a large estate 
8 



114 Legends of Swit:{erland 



on the Lake of Thun, and great treasures. 
Part of this wealth was employed by Stratt- 
lingen in erecting the castle which still bears 
his name, and which long remained in the pos- 
session of his family. One of his descendants, 
Wernhardt von Strattlingen, was known far and 
wide for his great charity, and when a shivering 
pilgrim knocked at his gate one cold winter 
morning, he unhesitatingly bestowed upon him a 
brand-new cloak and bade him enter and spend 
the night in the castle. 

When morning came, pilgrim and cloak had 
vanished, and the lady of Strattlingen, who was 
very economical and far less charitable than her 
spouse, reproached him bitterly for wasting 
such a good cloak upon an ungrateful scamp. 
Although her scolding was vehement and oft 
renewed, the husband bore it patiently, and when 
about to set out on a pilgrimage, parted amicably 
with her, giving her half his ring and telling her 
she might marry again at the end of five years, 
if in the meantime he did not return to claim her 
by producing the other half of the circlet. 

This arrangement made, Strattlingen set out 
for Garganum, where he had heard that St. 
Michael, his patron saint, had recently alighted. 
Arriving there, he had a vision of St. Michael 
himself, who gave him his blessing. But on the 



Bern 



way home, Strattlingen was cast into a prison 
in Lombardy, where he languished four whole 
years. Throughout this long captivity Stratt- 
lingen's faith never wavered; and when came 
the time set for his wife's remarriage should he 
not return, he fervently prayed that she might 
be preserved from bigamy. 

At that moment the pilgrim appeared in his 
cell, wrapped in the mantle he had given him, 
and humbly confessed that he was a demon sent 
to Strattlingen to entrap him into a reckless act 
of charity, in hopes that the scolding his wife 
was sure to administer would cause him to sin. 
The demon next went on to explain that he 
was now sent by St. Michael to convey him 
home. Then he proceeded to carry out the 
orders he had received from the archangel, and 
did it so skilfully that a few minutes later the 
lord of Strattlingen stood at his castle gate, 
wrapped in the cloak he had given the pilgrim 
five years before. 

Returning thus unexpectedly and unrecog- 
nised, Strattlingen perceived that wedding pre- 
parations were even then being made. Amid 
the throng of guests, he stepped up to the table 
unseen and dropped his half of the ring into his 
wife's cup. When she raised it to her lips to 
drink, she found this pledge, and looking eagerly 



ii6 Legends of Switzerland 



around her, recognised her husband in his pil- 
grim's garb and fell upon his neck. Instead of 
a wedding feast, a banquet of reunion was now 
held in the great hall at Strattlingen, and as 
thank-offering for his miraculous return, the 
count built the church of St. Michael at 
Einigen. 

This church was secretly dedicated by the 
archangel himself, who graciously made that 
fact known to the noble builder. The latter is 
said to have founded a dozen other churches in 
the neighbourhood, besides one large monastery. 
After a time, however, he began to pride himself 
upon his piety and great gifts to the church, and 
in punishment for this sin, fell desperately ill. 

During this illness he saw the archangels 
Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel wrestling with 
the Devil for the possession of his soul. But 
they finally agreed to decide the matter in a 
strictly impartial way by weighing Strattlingen's 
good and bad deeds in opposite scales. Held 
by one saint and filled by another and by the 
Devil, the scales wavered for a moment. Then 
the one containing the virtues seemed inclined 
to kick the beam, until St. Michael rested his 
hand heavily upon it. Seeing this, the Devil 
slyly clung to the bottom of the scale in which 
he was specially interested. But his black and 



Bern 



117 



claw-like fingers appearing over the edge of 
the scale, betrayed his stratagem to St. Michael, 
who, drawing his sword, drove him away. 

This curious legend is illustrated by a paint- 
ing which long graced the church in Lauter- 
brunnen, and the various legends told above are 
carefully preserved in the curious chronicle of 
the church at Einigen. 

* 

Opposite Spiez, at the foot of the Ralligen- 
stock, and near the present town of Ralligen, 
there was once a village named Roll, whose 
inhabitants were noted all along the lake shore 
for their selfishness and pride. 

One night when the wind was blowing very 
hard and after it had rained persistently for 
several days, a little dwarf came into the village, 
and knocking at every door humbly begged for 
shelter. All rudely refused to receive him, 
except an aged couple living at the end of the 
village. They bade him enter, gave him the 
best food that they had in the house, and would 
gladly have let him sleep in their own bed, had 
he only been willing to tarry with them over 
night. But the dwarf told them he still had 
much to do, and bidding them farewell, ran 
through the place again, crying that it would 
soon disappear. 



ii8 Legends of Switzerland 



Before morning a terrible storm broke, the 
lightning struck the top of the Ralligenstock, 
and all at once the awestruck people heard the 
rumbling sound of a great landslide. Peering 
hastily out of their window, the charitable couple 
saw their little guest gliding rapidly down the 
mountain side on a huge rock, which he seemed 
to steer like a sled. Guiding this rock close to 
their hut, he brought it to a sudden standstill 
there, making it serve as a bulwark for the tiny 
house where he had been so hospitably enter- 
tained. The rest of the earth and stones swept 
all the other houses and inhabitants of Roll into 
the lake, in punishment for their pride and lack 
of hospitality. But we are told that the little 
cabin so miraculously spared, stood on the very 
site of the present castle of Ralligen. 

On the same side of the Lake of Thun, and 
not very far from Ralligen, is the charmingly 
situated town of Merligen. According to some- 
what malicious legends, the people there were 
none too intelligent. They once built a beautiful 
City Hall, but discovered only too late that they 
had forgotten to provide any windows, and that 
it was pitch dark inside. As it was impossible 
to transact business in utter obscurity, the city 
council immediately declared light must be 



Bern 



119 



brought in without delay, and bade each of 
the councillors procure a bagful. All therefore 
betook themselves in a body to a sunny meadow, 
opened wide their sacks, and v/hen they saw 
them full of sunlight, closed them tight and bore 
them off to the City Hall. But although one 
bagful after another of golden sunshine was 
carried in there, and all were opened at once, the 
hall, to their great surprise and disappointment, 
remained as dark as ever. 

There once stood a nut tree close by the lake 
at Merligen. It bent so far over the water that 
the people fancied the topmost branches wanted 
a drink, so they determined to help it reach the 
water. The chief magistrate climbed the tree, 
and seizing the highest bough, bade another 
citizen catch hold of his legs. This done, 
a third clung to the second, and continuing 
thus the people formed a living chain which 
reached down into the lake. The last man now 
cried, — 

" Are you all ready > Shall we pull ? " 

*' No! " cried the chief magistrate, "wait a 
minute ; I want to spit in my hands ! " 

Saying this, he suddenly let go, and the whole 
chain of men splashed into the lake, where they 
were drowned 1 

At the end of the eighteenth century, after the 



I20 Legends of Switierland 



French had carried off the treasure of Bern to 
meet the expenses of the Egyptian war, the 
other cities decided it might be well to hide or 
bury their valuables, lest they too should fall into 
their enemies' hands. The people of Merligen 
therefore put all their treasures on board a 
boat, rowed out to the middle of the lake, and 
sank them in the deepest spot. To make sure, 
however, that they would be able to find again 
the exact spot where the valuables were lying, 
they carefully drew a heavy mark on their boat 
directly above the sunken treasure. Unfortu- 
nately, this streak did not remain on the spot 
where the treasure was hidden, but to the dis- 
may of the people accompanied them back to 
Merligen; and it is said no one has ever yet 
been able to locate these valuables, whose loss 
is still mourned. 

The strip of land between the lakes of Thun 
and Brienz is watered by the Aare, which, flow- 
ing through both these bodies of water, also 
serves as a connecting link between them. 
Interlaken, as its name indicates, is situated 
between the two lakes. 

From the steamboats on the Lake of Brienz, 
one can see the wooded slopes and charming 
village of Iseltwald. Here, we are told, you 



Bern 



121 



often hear sounds such as might be produced 
by a huge ^Eolian harp. Sometimes loud, some- 
times low, the melancholy, ghost-like melody 
quivers softly through the summer air. 

Tradition assures us that a huntsman of this 
region had his right arm disabled by a strol^e 
of lightning ; so, taking up his hunting horn, he 
wandered from place to place, playing wonder- 
ful tunes for a living. His admiring auditors 
rewarded him for his music by small gifts, 
and all delighted in his constant tunes. Early 
in the morning, when the first lark rose to 
the sky, the stirring notes of ^' Awake, my 
heart, and sing I " roused the sleeping inhabi- 
tants ; and far into the night gentle reveries 
lulled them to sleep. All day long the music 
played strong, brisk, helpful accompaniments to 
their labours, and when a thief prowled 'about 
their huts at night, ready to seize their property, 
a sharp danger signal from the ever-ready horn 
pealed through the quiet air. 

Every one loved the wandering huntsman, — 
no feast or funeral was complete without him, 
and wherever he went he invariably met with 
an enthusiastic welcome. The time came, how- 
ever, when the poor man felt his last hour was 
near ; and seating himself near the edge of the 
lake he played a melodious farewell to life, and 



122 Legends of Switierlajtd 



to the land he loved. Then, addressing a lame 
beggar who had stolen up to listen to his music, 
he gave him all the money he had, on condition 
thathe v^^ould promise to bury him in the Iseltwald. 

But," he added, " be sure to place my be- 
loved hunting horn in my hand. It has been 
my friend and comforter for many a year ; and 
if the dead can still feel and move, I shall be 
glad to beguile the dark and lonely hours spent 
in my grave. There I shall play soft tunes, 
until released by the peal of Gabriel's trump 
on the day of judgment, when I, too, shall 
arise to take part in the grand concert played 
before the throne of God." 

The old huntsman had scarcely finished these 
words when he died ; and true to his promise 
the beggar laid him to rest at the foot of a 
mighty oak, with his beloved horn clasped tight 
in his dead hand. Since then, belated boat- 
men have often heard a musical call guiding 
them safely homeward ; and the still summer air 
often pulsates with the sweet, weird melody 
the huntsman softly plays to himself while wait- 
ing to join in the grand Hallelujah Chorus on 
the judgment day. 

After leaving Iseltwald the steamers on the 
Lake of Brienz stop at the Giessbach, part of 



Bern 



123 



which famous falls can be seen from its deck, 
and thence run on to Brienz, where one can 
take the train to Meiringen and see the beauti- 
ful Reichenbach. 

Near the last-named town, on the v/ay to the i 
Hohenstollen, whence a magnificent view is 
obtainable, one passes the Balisalp, of which 
the following picturesque legend is told. A 
shepherd named Res used to tend his cattle 
here ; and after they were duly cared for every 
evening, he was wont to take the huge funnel 
through which he poured his milk into his pans, 
and reversing it, step out on a projecting ledge 
of rock to call out a loving good-night to his 
sweetheart, who spent the summer on the See- 
alp. Then, when it was too dark to see the 
place where she stood, he would quietly enter 
his hut, climb up into the loft, and lying down 
on his pallet, would sleep soundly until the next 
day, when his first morning greeting was also 
shouted to the girl he loved. 

One night the herdsman suddenly awoke, 
and hearing a crackling sound, peered down 
into the chalet to see what it might be. To 
his surprise he saw three strange-looking men 
sitting around a bright fire they had kindled on 
his hearth, busy making cheese in a giant kettle. 
The largest of the three kept stirring the milk, 



124 Legends of Switzerland 



the next one brought more to add to it, while 
the third kept up a bright blaze by adding fuel 
to the fire from time to time. 

Watching these men, the owner of the hut 
saw the cheesemaker pour a reddish fluid 
into the kettle. Then the second stepped to 
the door, and taking a huge horn, began to 
play a weird melody. Low at first, it gradually 
roused all the echoes, and had a magical effect, 
for all the cows came running up to him and 
soon stood around in a circle as if to listen. 
This musical performance ended, the third man 
poured the contents of the huge kettle into 
three vessels, and the watching herdsman noted 
with surprise that the liquid in each receptacle 
was of a different hue. 

Just then, the tallest man looked up, and 
bade the herdsman come down and drink from 
any vessel he pleased, — explaining that if he 
partook of the red liquid he would be as strong 
as a giant and receive one hundred cows ; if 
he tasted of the green, he would have a large 
fortune ; while If he chose the white, he would 
receive the magic horn and be able to play the 
weird tune, which, as he had seen, would charm 
cows as well as men. 

The young dairyman had been so enraptured 
by the music he had heard, that he unhesitat- 



Bern 



ingly snatched the bowl containing the white 
liquid and took a deep draught. When he set 
it down again, his strange visitors warmly con- 
gratulated him upon his selection, for had he 
drunk out of either of the other vessels he 
would surely have died, and centuries would 
have elapsed before the Alphorn would again 
have been offered to mankind. This explana- 
tion given, the three strangers suddenly van- 
ished, leaving no trace of their presence save 
the Alphorn, which the young man put to his 
lips just as the first gleams of light appeared in 
the east. Then, to his delight, he found he 
could play as well as the mysterious stranger. 

He soon made a second horn just like the 
one he had received from his night visitors, 
and taught his beloved to use it. They kept 
up a lively musical intercourse all summer, 
although too far apart to hear each other's 
words. In the autumn they were married, and 
their descendants inherited their wonderful 
musical instruments, and still play the peculiar 
air, which has, as yet, lost none of its primitive 
charm. 

A similar story is told of the Wengernalp, 
where, however, on the eve of the wedding, the 
young herdsman's musical call was answered 
by a ghostly voice announcing the death of his 



126 



Legends of Switzerland 



betrothed. The expectant bridegroom was so 
shocked by these tidings that he dropped his 
wonderful horn, which was shattered on the 
rocks below him. Then, maddened by grief, 
he ranged the mountain, until, in a fit of despair, 
he committed suicide. 

Since then, many imitations have been made 
of the magic horn, but none has ever reproduced 
any of its best high notes, and all the present 
instruments are remarkable for their deep, sad 
tones, which produce an indescribably mourn- 
ful impression upon all those who hear them 
for the first time. 

On the way from Meiringen to the famous 
Rhone glacier, one sees some of the most beau- 
tiful and varied scenery in the world. After 
passing charming points too numerous to men- 
tion, the road, which rises rapidly, leads over 
the barren Grimsel Pass, v/here stands a famous 
refuge for poor travellers, the well-known 
Grimsel Hospice. 

A legend claims that in olden times this 
region blossomed like the rose, and that the 
highest mountains were as fertile as any valley 
nestling in a sheltered location at their foot. 
When Our Lord bade the Wandering Jew^ 

1 See the author's " Legends of the Virgin and Christ." 



Bern 



127 



begin the never-ending journey for which he is 
so noted, he immediately set out, and tramping 
incessantly, started to cross the Alps at the 
Grimsel. Although constantly urged along by 
a power he could not resist, Ahasuerus, the 
Jew, marked the happy people dwelling on the 
banks of the Aare and the Rh6ne, and mar- 
velled at the extreme fertility of the pass, where 
grapes and figs grew in abundance^ where no 
barren spot could be seen, and where mighty 
oaks covered the tops of mountains now crowned 
by eternal snovv^s. 

The air was mild and balmy, even at the 
greatest altitude ; and hosts of birds in bright 
plumage flitted about, twittering and singing in 
the merriest way. Ahasuerus also noticed that 
the people were gentle and hospitable, for 
wherever he asked for food or drink it was 
quickly granted, and he was warmly invited 
to tarry with them and rest his weary limbs. 
This invitation, however, he could not accept ; 
but hurried on, unconscious of the fact that a 
blight fell over every place through which he 
passed ; for the curse laid upon him not only 
condemned him to move on for ever, but en- 
hanced his punishment by making cold, want, 
and pestilence follow in his train. 

Many years passed by before the Wandering 



128 Legends of Switzerland 



Jew again found himself near the Alps ; but 
weary as he was, he somewhat quickened his 
footsteps, hoping to feast his eyes upon the 
landscape which had so charmed him the first 
time, and to meet again the warm-hearted 
people who had been so kind to him once before. 

As he drew near the mountains, however, sad 
forebodings wrung his heart, for they were en- 
veloped in a dense fog, which seemed to him 
particularly cold and clammy. Hurrying on up 
the pass, he eagerly looked from side to side, 
yet saw nothing but dark pines wildly tossing 
their sombre branches against a gray sky, while 
ravens and owls flew past him, croaking and 
hooting. Vines, figs, and oaks had vanished, 
and the happy people, driven away by the con- 
stant windstorms which swept the mountains, 
had taken refuge in the sheltered valleys. But 
although all else was changed, the spirit of hos- 
pitality still lingered on the heights, for the 
charcoal-burners gladly shared their meagre sup- 
ply of coarse food with the Wandering Jew, and 
warmly invited him to be seated at their campfire. 

The Jew, however, had to hasten on; and 
many long years elapsed before he again trod 
the Grimsel Pass. For a while he still per- 
ceived dark firs and smouldering fires, but it 
seemed to him that they were much nearer the 



Bern 



129 



foot of the mountain than they had been at 
his second visit. As he climbed upward he also 
noticed that the path was much more rugged 
than before, for rocks and stones had fallen 
down upon it from above, making it almost 
impassable in certain places. As no obstacle 
could stop this involuntary traveller, he went on 
over rolling stones and jagged rocks, and Hear- 
ing the top of the pass discovered that every 
trace of vegetation had vanished, and that the 
place formerly so fertile was now covered with 
barren rocks and vast fields of snow. Raising 
his eyes to the peaks all around him he per- 
ceived that oaks, beeches, and pines had all 
vanished, and that the steep mountain sides 
were heavily coated with ice, which ran far 
down into the valleys in great frozen streams. 

The sight of all this desolation, which had 
taken the place of such luxuriant vegetation, 
proved too much for poor Ahasuerus, who sank 
down on a rock by the wayside and burst into 
tears. There he sat and sobbed, as he realised 
for the first time the blighting effect of his pas- 
sage. His tears flowed so freely that they 
trickled down into a rocky basin, and when he 
rose to pursue his way down into the Hasli 
valley, he left a little lake behind him. 

In spite of the masses of snow and ice all 
9 



130 Legends of Switzerland 

around, and of the cold winds which constantly 
sweep over that region, the waters of the lake 
still remain as warm as the tears which fell from 
Ahasuerus's eyes ; and no fish are ever found in 
this pool. 

Still, notwithstanding the desolate landscape, 
Ahasuerus found the spirit of hospitality not 
quite dead, for far up on the pass rose a shelter 
for weary travellers, where they were carefully 
tended by pious monks. But even here he 
could not rest, and as he passed along down 
the mountain, he heard the thunder of falling 
avalanches behind him. It is during this last 
journey that he is supposed to have lost the 
queer old shoe which was long treasured in one 
of the vaults of the Bern Library. 

It is also said that when pausing at one of the 
huts in the Hasli valley, he sorrowfully foretold 
that when fate brought him there for the fourth 
and last time, the whole fruitful valley, from 
the top of the mountains down to the Lake of 
Brienz, would be transformed into a huge un- 
broken field of ice, where he would wander 
alone in quest of the final resting-place which 
until now has been denied him, although 
Eugene Field claims he found it in the New 
World.i 

1 See " The Holy Cross," by Eugene Field. 



Bern 



This account of the passage of the Wandering 
Jew is told with slight variations of all the 
passes between Switzeriand and Italy. Every 
particulariy barren spot in the former country 
is supposed to have been blighted because he 
passed through there, or because mortals sinned 
so grievously that they brought a curse down 
upon it. 

Although travellers coming over the Grimsel 
often make their way from there to Grindelwald, 
in the heart of the Oberland, this point is most 
easily reached from Interlaken, by means of 
the railroad following the course of an Alpine 
stream, the Liitchine, which flows in a rocky 
bed between tall cliffs and steep pine-clad hills. 
After passing Burglauenen, of which the same 
story is told as of Roll on the Lake of Thun, 
you come to Grindelwald, where you have the 
best view of the Wetterhorn. 

A picturesque legend claims that in the 
Golden Age, when no snow or ice had ever 
been seen in Switzerland^ rich pastures lay be- 
tween the Faulhorn and the Siedelhorn. A fine 
brook flowing through there supplied the cattle 
with all the water they needed, and enabled the 
herdsmen to keep all their pails and pans in 
a state of dazzling whiteness and immaculate 



132 Legends of Switzerland 

purity. The pasture was so rich, and the cows 
gave such quantities of milk, that the men were 
always tired of milking long before they were 
through. Spoiled by too great plenty, and over- 
inclined to take their ease, these men cursed 
cows and pasture, so a great change soon took 
place, which at first struck them as very wel- 
come, because as the kine's milk decreased their 
work diminished. 

But one day a maiden came to Gidi, the 
principal herdsman, and breathlessly announced 
that a very strange thing had happened, for 
the brook was all covered with a very thin 
sheet of glass I When Gidi heard this, he 
cried, — 

" Then it is high time we should change our 
pasture I " 

He therefore immediately drove his herd 
down into the valley, where, clearing away the 
dense forest, he built the little village Gidisdorf, 
which still bears his name. Since then, that 
place — more generally known as Grindelwald 
— has become a great resort for tourists, who 
are attracted thither by the healthful situation, 
and by the marvellous views obtainable on all 
sides. From this place many interesting excur- 
sions are possible, among others that to the 
Scheidegg. 



Bern 



133 



It seems that the possession of the Great or 
Hasli Scheidegg was once the cause of a serious 
dispute between the people of Hasli and Grin- 
delwald. As the matter could not be settled 
otherwise, it was to be decided by oath. The 
people of Grindelwald, who could not swear 
truthfully that it belonged to them, nevertheless 
won it by stratagem, for their champion, filling 
his shoes with earth from his garden at 
Grindelwald, boldly presented himself before 
the judge on the disputed land. There he 
swore in a tone of such intense conviction 
that he stood upon Grindelwald soil, that the 
judge, persuaded of the rectitude of his claim, 
awarded the disputed land to his community. 

The perjurer was, however, duly punished for 
this crime, for even now his soul can find no 
rest. Mounted the wrong way round upon a 
ghostly steed, he rides every night from the spot 
where he committed perjury down to Meiringen; 
and if one listens attentively one can often hear 
his sighs and groans as he takes this nightly jaunt. 

On either side of the Upper Grindelwald 
Glacier tower the Wetterhorn and the two 
Schreckhorn peaks. The latter mountains are 
said to be haunted by an unhappy chamois- 
hunter, who insisted on going in pursuit of 



134 Legends of Switzerland 



game, although a terrible storm was raging and 
his wife frantically implored him to stay at 
home. 

After climbing far up among the rocks, he 
detected a fine chamois, and crouching near the 
edge of a fearful abyss, took careful aim and 
fired. But just then his gun recoiled, and 
losing his insecure footing, he slipped over the 
edge. Instead of falling all the way down, 
however, the hunter landed on a narrow ledge 
of rock, whence he could not stir, for the cliff 
rose straight above and fell sheer below him 
hundreds of feet. 

The poor man, unable to move, remained 
almost in the same position for three days and 
two nights, when, seeing no hope of escape, 
and unable to endure his sufferings any longer, 
he resolved to commit suicide. Writing the 
story of the accident which had befallen him 
and of his fatal resolve, he threw the scrap of 
paper down into the abyss at his feet. Then, 
reloading his gun, which he had held fast in his 
fall, he sent an unerring bullet straight through 
his brain. 

Months later the paper was found close by 
his shattered corpse ; and since then, whenever 
a storm rages, one can hear the sudden report 
of a gun, a crashing fall, prolonged heart- 



Bern 



135 



rending groans, and the people declare it is the 
suicide repeating the awful tragedy which ended 
his life. 

It seems that there was once a convent at 
Interlaken where the nuns, unmindful of their 
vows, led anything but pure lives. Banished 
after death to the Schreckhorn, these nuns lie 
buried deep in the snow ; but the spots where 
they rest glitter in a peculiar way, and are 
known as Snow Eyes. People say that they 
are placed there to serve as a constant warning 
to the valley maidens not to follow the example 
of those dissolute nuns. 

A legend claims that St. Martin once came to 
Grindelwald, and finding a valley too narrow to 
admit as much sunshine as he deemed neces- 
sary for the good of the people, determined to 
widen it. He therefore resolutely braced his 
back against the Mettenberg, and jamming his 
stick hard against the Eiger, pushed with such 
force that he partly accomplished his purpose. 
Such was the effort he made, that the imprint of 
his back can still be seen in the Mettenberg 
and a final thrust of his staff punched a hole 
through the Eiger I This perforation, far up 
the mountain, is known as the Heiterloch or 
Martinsloch, and the sun always shines through 



136 Legends of Switzerland 



it on St. Martin's Day, to keep bright the 
memory of the saint who made it. 

Far up on the southwestern side of the Jung- 
frau, or Virgin Mountain, is a desolate, icy place, 
known as the Rothenthal, or Red Valley. In 
olden times this was one of the most fertile 
pastures that had ever been seen. And as it 
was all gemmed over with delicate Alpine 
flowers, it was generally known as the Alp of 
the Little Flowers, or the Bltimelis Alp. 

A beautiful winding road leading right through 
this valley formed a convenient pass between 
the cantons of Bern and Valais, and the people 
there would have been perfectly happy had 
they not been subject to tyrannical lords. 
These noblemen were grasping and unprinci- 
pled, as well as cruel, and built a castle near the 
highway so that they could conveniently despoil 
all travellers and levy supplies from the peasants 
in the neighbourhood. Not content with these 
depredations, they cultivated every vice they 
could think of, and often kidnapped the maid- 
ens who happened to please their taste or 
catch their lustful eyes. 

A beautiful and innocent maiden was once 
tending her cows upon the fragrant Bliimelis 
Alp when the lord of Rothenthal suddenly per- 



Bern 



137 



ceived her, and inflamed by passion suddenly 
tried to seize her. The poor girl uttered a wild 
shriek of terror, and looked around her for 
help. No one was in sight, however, and she 
already deemed herself lost^ when a big black 
goat suddenly appeared, and rushing against her 
assailant with lowered horns, bucked him re- 
peatedly, and finally hurled him over the edge 
of the precipice. The maiden, who had fled 
when the nobleman let go of her to defend 
himself against his horned antagonist, turned 
around just in time to see her persecutor fall. 
At the same moment the mountains shook 
violently, and huge masses of ice and rock 
came crashing down upon the blooming pasture, 
which, in the twinkling of an eye, was con- 
verted into the icy waste you can see there 
to-day. 

Although now seldom trodden by human feet, 
the Rothenthal is still said to be haunted by the 
spirits of all those who have oppressed their 
fellow-men. Here they wander, up and down, 
bewailing their fate with sighs and groans which 
can be heard far and wide. Whenever the 
demons bring a new spirit thjther to share their 
punishment, there is a grand commotion in the 
Rothenthal, — stones roll, avalanches fall, and the 
cries and groans become so loud and sustained 



138 Legends of Switzerland 



that the people in the neighbouring valleys, 
awakening with a start, hide their heads under 
their blankets and murmur, — 

"They are bringing another lord to the 
Valley I " 

A moment later a sudden and stronger gust of 
wind sweeps past their dwellings ; and when it 
is over, they timidly emerge from their coverings, 
making the sign of the cross to ward off evil, or 
softly breathing a prayer to be preserved from 
harm. 

Interlaken is also the usual point of departure 
for those who wish to visit the valley of Lauter- 
brunnen, the famous Falls of the Staubbach, and 
the pastures of Miirren, whence such a beau- 
tiful view of the Alps can be obtained, and 
whence the sunset effects on the glaciers are 
particularly grand. As Mr. Samuel Longfellow 
says, — 

" From Miirren's pastures zoned with snow 
I watch the peaks, with quickened breath. 
Flush in the sunset's passionate glow — 
Fade into pallor passing death." ^ 

We are informed that in olden times, before 
the stream here had hollowed out its deep 

1 Poems of Places — Switzerland : Longfellow, 



Bern 



139 



ravine, a herdsman used to exchange long con- 
versations with his beloved, who tended her 
cattle on the opposite side of the Sausbach. 
One day when there was a great freshet, and 
the noise of the roaring waters drowned their 
voices, the young people, in a playful mood, 
began to fling handfuls of grass and sod 
at each other, laughing merrily and making 
mocking signs whenever one of the harmless 
missiles reached its goal. In the excitement of 
the game^ however, the young man finally tore 
up a great lump of loose earth, and unconscious 
of the fact that a sharp stone lay imbedded deep 
in it, hurled it with accurate aim straight at the 
head of his sweetheart. Instead of the half- 
laughing, half-indignant outcry he fully expected, 
he suddenly saw the maiden sink lifeless to the 
ground, for the sharp stone had run straight 
into her temple 1 

The broken-hearted youth gave up his herd, 
withdrew from the company of his former 
associates, and building a hut on the very spot 
where the girl he loved had perished, spent the 
rest of his life in penance and prayer. It is 
also said that he finally died there, without hav- 
ing known another happy moment, and without 
ever smiling again. 



LEGENDS OF SOLEURE 



OOLEURE, on the Aare, in the canton of 
^ the same name, is said to be, after Treves, 
the oldest city north of the Alps. Most of the 
old landmarks and fortifications of this city have 
had to make way for modern improvements ; so 
the most interesting legends of the region are 
connected with the pretty drives just outside the 
city. 

In olden times, the picturesque Verenathal, 
or Verena valley, is said to have been the re- 
treat of a woman so very good and pious that 
she was known as St. Verena long before her 
death. This worthy creature, wishing to devote 
all her time to the worship of God, had betaken 
herself to this lonely spot, where she built a 
small hermitage and erected a cross, at the foot 
of which she spent many hours in fervent prayer. 
Such was her charity, that she constantly inter- 
ceded for the wicked, pleading particularly 
for those who were most likely to succumb 
to temptation and thus fall into the devil's 
clutches. 



Legends of Soleure 



141 



These prayers and intercessions were not 
without avail ; and the Evil One, perceiving that 
he could not bag as many souls as usual in that 
vicinity, finally set out to discover what was the 
matter. Walking past the hermitage, the sound 
of passionate and persistent prayer fell upon his 
ear ; so he noiselessly drew near to ascertain the 
exact nature of the petition. 

Listening attentively, he soon distinguished 
the words, and gnashed his teeth with rage 
when he overheard her interceding with special 
fervour in behalf of the very souls he hoped 
soon to have in his power. This, then, was the 
reason for the alarming and otherwise unac- 
countable decrease in the number of his victims I 
He therefore resolved that the prayers of the 
holy woman should immediately be stopped, 
and with that end in view tore a huge mass of 
stone from a neighbouring cliff. Then stealing 
near the saint, he held it for a moment sus- 
pended directly above her head, carefully measur- 
ing the distance, so that he could kill her with 
one blow. 

But just as he was about to let the mass fall 
upon Verena and crush her to death, she sud- 
denly looked up, and met his baleful glance 
with such a look of mingled purity, compassion, 
and reproach, that Satan, starting back involun- 



142 Legends of Switzerland 



tarily, let the rock slip from his nerveless hand. 
The boulder, falling on his foot, crushed it so 
badly that he immediately vanished with a 
wrathful howl of pain and disappointment. 

The rock thus dropped by the Evil One can 
now be seen on the very spot where it fell, and 
it still bears the distinct imprint of the DeviFs 
claws, which seerfi burnt in the stone. 

" Wilt thou not believe my legend, 
Go to St. Verena's glen ; 
In the rocky clump thou 'It see there 
Print of Satan's fingers ten." i 

Since then, his Infernal Majesty is said to 
have systematically avoided passing through the 
narrow gorge where he met with this unpleasant 
accident. But he is constantly reminded of St. 
Verena and of his luckless attempt, for his 
crushed foot never recovered from this accident, 
and he has walked lame from that day to this. 

Near the hermitage hallowed by the holy life 
and death of St. Verena, there is a tiny chapel ; 
and a little farther on one can see a representa- 
tion of the Holy Sepulchre, hewn out of the rock, 
and adorned with life-size statues. This place • 
is frequently visited by pilgrims, who also stand 
in awe and wonder before the fountains of the 

1 Poems of Places — Svdtzerland : Longfellow. 



Legends of Soleure 



143 



Soleure Cathedral, which represent Moses 
striking the rock, and Gideon wringing the dew 
out of the fleece, which, by a miracle, was drip- 
ping wet when all the ground around it was dry. 

Noted as a railway junction, as well as a 
pleasantly located town on the Aare, Olten is 
only five miles distant firom the pretty health re- 
sort of Frohburg, on the Hauenstein. From 
this eminence one can enjoy a wonderful pan- 
orama of the AlpS;, extending from the Sentis 
at the extreme northwest, to Mont Blanc at 
the southeastern end of the mighty range of 
snow-capped mountains. 

Within a few minutes' walk from the hotel of 
Frohburg, are the ruins of a castle of the same 
name, once famous for its beauty as well as its 
great strength. The owner of this castle, the 
last Count of Frohburg, was known far and 
wide as a wealthy and powerful nobleman, who 
ruled his people with a heavy hand. His lands, 
extending for miles around the castle, were 
carefully parcelled out among the peasants, who, 
beside the feudal service required of them by 
their exacting master, were further compelled to 
give him one tenth of all the produce of their 
little farms. 

On the day appointed for the payment of the 



144 Legends of Switzerland 

grain tithes, the lord of Frohburg, standing on 
the battlements of his castle, yearly beheld 
the approach of a train of wheat-laden wagons, 
which formed an unbroken line several miles 
long. Indeed, it is said that when the first cart 
vanished under the tunnel-like gateway of the 
castle, the last could just be seen crossing the 
bridge at Olten, more than five miles away. 

All this wealth and power, however, only 
tended to spoil the Count of Frohburg, who 
daily grew more haughty and overbearing, and 
finally persuaded himself that his vassals had 
been created for his good pleasure only, and 
were not human beings like himself. This be- 
lief made him extremely cruel and tyrannical, 
but his overweening pride was soon to be 
severely punished. 

One day, shortly after the grain tithes had 
been paid, while the lord of Frohburg was away 
from home, a terrible earthquake suddenly shook 
the whole range of the Jura Mountains. The 
castle of Frohburg, unable to withstand the aw- 
ful shock, although its owner proudly averred 
it would stand forever, was soon reduced to a 
heap of unsightly ruins, from which rose dense 
clouds of choking dust. Towers and battle- 
ments, halls and dungeons, were all laid low, 
and a messenger set off in great haste to apprise 



Legends of Soleure 



145 



the Count of the utter destruction of his 
abode. 

This emissary met his master on the bridge, 
where he breathlessly and tremblingly imparted 
his bad tidings. No sooner had the Count 
heard his report, than he flew into an awful 
passion, cursing and swearing so vehemently 
that all the people shrank away from him in 
horror. In his anger at his loss, and further 
enraged by his retainers' evident reluctance to 
remain in the company of a blasphemer, the lord 
of Frohburg raised his right hand to heaven and 
threateningly cried,— 

" As true as I am lord of the land, not one 
of you shall again till his fields, until my 
castle has been rebuilt by the work of your 
hands ! " 

At these words the distressed people groaned 
aloud, for the castle was a huge edifice, and 
many months of arduous labour would be neces- 
sary before it again rose in all its strength and 
magnificence. Forced to work without pay for 
their cruel lord, they would be doomed to starve 
to death with their wives and children, while 
the fields which had been so productive hitherto 
would lie fallow and bare. 

While they still stood there in speechless dis- 
may, a thunderbolt suddenly fell from a cloud- 
10 



146 Legends of Swifierland 

less sky upon the cruel lord of Frohburg, who 
soon lay before them a blackened and lightning- 
scarred corpse. ThuS;, in the midst of his 
vassals, Providence punished the wicked man 
for his cruelty and blasphemy. 

As this nobleman was the last of his race, the 
Castle of Frohburg was never rebuilt. It can 
still be seen, a mass of ruins, as it was left by 
the memorable earthquake of 1356, which made 
such a havoc among the buildings in the Jura 
mountains. 



BASEL 



TD ASEL, the capital of the canton of the same 
name, was founded by the Romans before 
Christ. After serving as one of their military 
posts, it became a free town under the empire, 
and at the very beginning of the sixteenth cen- 
tury joined the Swiss Confederation. 

The centre of a bishopric founded by Charle- 
magne, this city was already famous in his day 
for its churches, monasteries, and schools, al- 
though the present cathedral was built only two 
hundred years later. It suffered sorely from the 
great earthquake of 1356, when tradition asserts 
that the building rocked so portentously that 
a huge bell of pure silver was hurled from its 
spire straight into the Rhine. There it still 
lies, and on clear days can be seen shining deep 
down under the water. Sometimes, too, its 
sound can be heard there, for the Rhine spirits 
— who are all good Christians — ring it regu- 
larly at the appointed hours for prayer. 

The old fortifications of the town have nearly 
all vanished, but the fourteenth-century Spalen- 



148 Legends of Switzerland 

thor still stands. Between that gate and the 
Spalenberg, the Spalen, a ghostly creature, is 
said to rush every stormy night. None of the 
inhabitants can describe it exactly, for they have 
only caught fleeting glimpses of it, although they 
have frequently heard it pass. 

This ghost is variously designated as a sea- 
horse, a pig, a dragon^ or a griffin, but if any one 
attempts to ascertain its exact nature, by look- 
ing out of the vi^indow when the sound of its 
flying footsteps is heard, he is duly punished 
by waking up on the morrow with a very swol- 
len face. A bold spirit, who once recklessly 
thrust his head far out of the window to satisfy 
his curios.ity, is said to have been stricken with 
such sudden and exaggerated inflammation that 
the window frame had to be removed before 
he could again draw in his head 1 

The two divisions of the town, on either side 
of the river, were long at feud, and this divi- 
sion was commemorated by a statue on the old 
bridge, which by means of a curious mechanism 
continually stuck out a derisive tongue at the 
people on the other side. This image, locally 
known as the " Lallenkonig" is now in the-city 
museum. In reply to this insult the people of 
the opposite side are said to have set up a rival 
statue, which turned its back in the most 



SPALENTHOR ((JR THE SPALEN GATE) 
BASEL. 



Bastl 



149 



contemptuous way to the famous Lallen- 
konig.-'^ 

Not far from the Summer Casino stands the 
St. Jacob monument, commemorating a battle 
of the same name fought in 1444. Tradition 
declares that thirty days before this fight, the 
people of Basel were warned of its approach by 
sudden noises high up in the air above them. 
First came a rush, as of mailed steeds ; then a 
clash like that of contending armies, followed by 
a din of cries and groans. Although nothing was 
visible, the people knew full well that Satan's 
ghostly train was already fighting in the air above 
them in anticipation of the coming carnage. 

When the fight at St. Jacob really took place, 
Burkard of Landskron — whose ruined castle 
stands near Basel -— sided with the French. He 
fought all day with such fury that when evening 
came and the battle was ended, he and his milk- 
white battle steed were all covered with blood. 
Gazing around him, Burkard saw the ground 
strewn with corpses, the grass and bushes 
drenched with blood, while the very brook ran 
red with gore. 

The warrior, who delighted in warfare, "gazed 

1 For this and other legends of Basel, see the author's 
" Legends of the Rhine." 



150 Legends of Switzerland 



enraptured at this awful scene ; then, patting his 
horse, he joyfully cried, — 

"Ah, old fellow I you and I are bathing in 
roses to-day, are we not ? " 

These unfeeling words, which were answered 
by a gentle neigh from the weary steed, fell upon 
the dying ears of a brave Swiss, who had gone 
into battle echoing his companions' dauntless 
cry, "Our souls to God, our bodies to the 
enemy ! 

Raising himself feebly, he fixed dim, resent- 
ful eyes upon the cruel victor ; then, recognising 
in him a bitter foe of his country, his heart 
swelled once more in violent anger. Too weak 
to rise and strike another blow with the sword 
which had done such good service that day, the 
Swiss fumbled around for a moment, then, seiz- 
ing a stone dyed red with patriot blood, hurled 
it straight at Landskron, saying, — 

" There, eat one of your roses, you fiend 1 " 

The stone, flung with unerring aim, struck 
the warrior in the middle of his forehead, and 
he fell with a crash to the ground, bathed in 
his own life-blood. This last effort, however, 
entirely exhausted the patriot, who, after seeing 
his enemy fall, sank back on the blood-stained 
sward, where he breathed his last sigh. 

The bravery of the small Swiss force which 



Basel 



held out here, hour after hour, against an army 
twenty or thirty times greater, so surprised 
Louis XI. that he gladly made peace with 
the Swiss, who still consider this battle their 
Thermopyl^. 

Not far from the ruined castle of Landskron, 
and near the village of Ettingen on one of the 
spurs of the Jura mountains, are the remains of 
the old castle of Fiirstenstein, the home of a 
lord of Rothberg in the fourteenth century. 

A thoroughly virtuous knight, this nobleman 
married a good wife, and both were equally 
devoted to their only child, a charming little 
girl of about four years of age. One day the 
mother took the little maiden out into the forest, 
where she let her run about to fill her basket 
with wood-flowers, and with the tiny wild 
strawberries whose perfume and flavour are so 
delicious. The mother sat down in the shade of 
a big tree, where the little one came every few 
moments to exhibit some new treasure ; but the 
Lady of Rothberg sprang to her feet in terror 
when a sharp cry rang suddenly through the 
air. 

Rushing to the place where her child had 
stood a moment before, she now beheld a 
frightfully steep precipice, but when she leaned 



152 Legends of Switzerland 



far over the edge, frantically calling the child, 
nothing but a loud echo replied. 

Beside herself with grief, the unhapp^r mother 
rushed down the mountain path, wildly implor- 
ing the Virgin to protect her babe. On reach- 
ing the foot of the mountain, and the entrance 
to the ravine, she almost fainted with joy, for her 
little girl came running joyfully forward to meet 
her. The mother clasped the child rapturously 
to her breast, and when the first emotion was 
over, and she had assured herself that her dar- 
ling was uninjured, she gently began to question 
her. The little maiden artlessly related that she 
had gone very near the edge of the precipice to 
pick a beautiful flower, and had suddenly fallen. 
But before she could touch the ground, she was 
caught in the arms of a beautiful woman, who 
gently set her down upon the soft grass, point- 
ing out the red strawberries which grew there 
in profusion and which she had begun to pick 
for her father. 

This miraculous rescue of their only child filled 
the parents' hearts with such gratitude that they 
built a rock chapel on the spot where the little 
one fell. An image of the Virgin was placed in 
this building, which soon became a resort for 
pilgrims coming from far and from near to pray 
at the shrine of Maria im Stein. Later on, a 



Basel 



153 



Benedictine abbey, Mariastein, was erected 
near here ; and a fine church now rises on the 
crag just above the rock-hewn commemorative 
chapel. 

The ruined castle of Waldenburg, near the 
village of the same name, was once the home 
of an exacting nobleman, who required such 
hard and continual labour from his numerous 
vassals, that they had no time to till the fields 
destined to supply their families with food. 

One poor man had been kept so persistently 
at work for his lord, that his wife and children 
were in sore need. When a messenger came 
to require further service, he desperately seized 
a dish, and holding it out to him, declared he 
would work no more, unless that vessel were 
filled thrice a day with wholesome food for his 
starving family. 

When the messenger gave this answer to the 
cruel lord, the latter immediately clapped the 
recalcitrant vassal into a damp prison, vowing 
he should remain there until he died miserably 
among the toads and other vermin which 
infested it. 

The poor wife, driven almost frantic by the 
cries of her hungry children, painfully wended 
her way up to the castle one cold winter 



154 Legends of Switzerland 

day, and meeting her master as he rode out of 
the gate on his way to the chase, fell on her 
knees in front of him, begging for her husband's 
release. 

The lord of Waldenburg, who did not even 
know the meaning of the word compassion, 
roughly bade her rise, threatening to trample 
her under foot like the rest of the dirt if she did 
not immediately get out of his way. But the 
woman still knelt on, pleading for her husband 
and for the hungry children who had no bread. 

Motioning to his huntsman to give her one 
of the stones by the wayside, the lord now 
mockingly cried, — 

"There is. bread for your children. It will 
last all the longer because it is so hard ; but 
when they have eaten it, you may come again, 
and I will give you some more of the same 
kind." 

This unfeeling remark proved too much for 
the outraged mother and wife. She sprang in- 
dignantly to her feet and cursed her master with 
trembling lips, saying that she wished his whole 
body might be turned into stone as hard and 
cold as his heart. 

At that instant, the lord of Waldenburg felt a 
strange chill run through his veins, his muscles 
suddenly stiffened, and before he could move 



Basel 



155 



or even utter a sound, he and his steed were 
petrified. His vassals, seeing Heaven had 
avenged them, now rushed into the castle, freed 
the prisoners, took possession of all the money 
and food, and in passing out again taunted the 
stone image of the man who had wronged them 
so persistently. 

This stone knight still mounts solemn guard 
near the entrance of his former castle, although 
wind and weather have so disintegrated the 
once hard rock that its primitive shape is now 
almost unrecognisable. 

In many parts of Switzerland, the noisy June 
bugs are known as thunder bugs. Near Basel, 
as well as at Ormond, the following amusing 
story is told of some simple peasants who dwelt 
in a deep valley. A long drought had made 
the soil so hard and dry that the people feared 
their harvests would be ruined unless they soon 
had rain. As their prayers and processions 
proved alike unavailing, they longed to try 
some more efficacious means of rain-making. 

A joker, hearing their quandary, now gravely 
bade them go to Basel and buy a little thunder 
at the drug-store there, assuring them that if 
they only let it loose in their valley, the rain 
would soon follow. The peasants, hearing this, 



156 Legends of Switzerland 

immediately sent a deputation to the city, and 
entering the largest and most fashionable apothe- 
cary shop, the rustic spokesman confidentially 
informed the clerk that he had come to buy 
some thunder. 

The clerk, who was not devoid of humour, 
gravely asked a few leading questions, then 
went into the rear of the store, saying he would 
get what they wanted. Stepping out into the 
garden unseen, he caught a few June bugs, 
and packed them carefully in a large pill-box. 
This he wrapped up and solemnly delivered to 
the waiting peasants, making such a very small 
charge that they openly regretted not having 
known sooner that thunder could be purchased 
so cheap in Basel. 

The men now set out on their return journey 
to the Frickthal, and as the apothecary had 
gravely charged them not to open the box 
until they reached their village, they passed 
the little parcel from hand to hand, weighed 
and shook it, and grinned at each other with 
delight when they heard a faint rumbling noise 
within it. 

Their impatience to see what this thunder 
might look like so engaged their attention 
that they did not notice dark clouds looming 
up behind them, and when they reached the 



Basel 



157 



top of the mountain at the foot of which lay 
their village, they determined to wait no longer 
and opened the box. With a loud buzz and a 
bang, the June bugs, resenting their imprison- 
ment and violent shaking, now flew, as luck 
would have it, directly over the village, while 
the deputation raced wildly down the mountain 
side with empty pill-box I 

The people were all on the market-place 
ready to receive them, and as soon as they 
appeared, clamoured to see the thunder they 
had purchased. The men sheepishly confessed 
what they had done, but declared all would yet 
be right, because the thunder bugs had flown 
straight over the village, and the rain would 
doubtless soon follow. Fortunately for them, 
the first black cloud just then appeared over 
the top of the mountain, and the people, per- 
ceiving it, gave a loud shout of joy. In an 
almost incredibly short space of time, all the 
Frickthalers were obliged to take refuge in 
their dwellings, for the rain came down in tor- 
rents, drenching the soil which had been so 
parched, and thus saving all the people from 
the threatened famine. 



AARGAU 



T N early days when men were simple-minded 
and pious, two lovely children were often 
seen hovering over the Aargau grain fields when 
the ears were just beginning to form. A boy 
and a girl, with golden curls waving over plump 
white shoulders, and gleaming white garments 
flowing down to the tiny feet which barely 
touched the swaying grain, this little pair flitted 
on from field to field, with dimpled hands out- 
stretched as if in blessing. 

Wherever they passed a golden gleam rested 
like a halo upon the land, where they were gen- 
erally known as the Grain Angels, and people 
knew that a fine harvest was assured. These 
radiant little cherubs were the spirits of two 
little children, who, straying into a harvest 
field, lost their way and died there like the 
fabled Babes in the Woods. 

The people of Brugg once agreed to assemble 
on the next rainy day, and sallying forth in a 
body, plant an extensive oak forest near their 



Aargau 



159 



quaint little city. As soon as the sky darkened, 
therefore, and the rain began to fall, they all 
went out, thrust sharp sticks into the damp 
ground, dropped acorns into the holes thus 
made, and pushing the dirt down with their 
feet, pressed it down hard. As men, women, 
and children took part in this sowing-bee, 
twelve acres were soon planted, and when the 
wet workers came back to town, the magis- 
trates rewarded them by giving each a small 
wheaten roll. 

The acorns thus consigned to the soil failed 
to grow because planted too deep, so the ex- 
pedition was repeated on the following year, 
the seed being now laid in furrows instead 
of separate holes. This system of planting 
proving equally unsuccessful, the Brugg magis- 
trates, on the third year, bade the inhabitants 
go forth into a neighbouring forest, dig up 
promising young trees, and plant them care- 
fully on the spot where the future forest was 
to stand. 

This third attempt, made in 1532, was turned 
into a sort of picnic by the merry children, who, 
singing in chorus, carried the young oaks to the 
appointed place, where each carefully planted 
the chosen tree. When they came home, the 
magistrates again gave each child a roll, and 



i6o Legends of Switzerland 



invited the older people to a grand public ban- 
quet where all drank to the success of the 
young oaks. 

This time the trees throve apace, and on every 
anniversary of this famous oak-planting, the 
little ones march in gay procession all around 
the woods and come home brandishing green 
branches, to prove to their parents that the 
forest is doing well. This quaint procession 
of wands, or Ruthenzug, has been kept up for 
centuries, and we are told the Brugg school- 
children enjoy it to-day as much as any of their 
ancestors. 

The mineral springs at Baden were once 
under the protection of three wise women, 
who, although no one knew who they were 
or whence they came, were generally supposed 
to have inhabited the old castle of Stein. 

Although usually on duty near the springs, 
these wise dames avoided being seen by the 
bathers, but if the water were defiled in any way, 
or if any of the rules were disregarded, they 
suddenly and mysteriously checked the flow of 
the healing waters, and did not allow another 
drop to run until the impurities were removed, 
or the wrong-doing ceased. 

The wise women of Baden were particularly 



Aargau 



i6i 



careful of the Verena spring, so called because 
the saint of that name once bathed in its waters. 
Into that basin they directed a stream of mineral 
waters of special potency when used by women 
and children. Sick babies plunged into this 
healing flood emerged rosy and well, and the 
women who came here to recover lost health 
or to secure the blessing of offspring, were 
sure soon to see the fulfilment of their dearest 
hopes. 

The three guardian spirits of the Baden 
springs were so beautiful and benevolent that 
the people likened them to the Virgin, and at a 
loss for another appellation designated them the 
three Marys. Their memory is not only treas- 
ured at Baden, but it is also enshrined in a 
nursery rhyme, to which all German-speaking 
children are trotted in Switzerland. 

" Rite, rite Rossli, 
Ze Bade stoht e Schlossli, 
Ze Bade stoht e giildi Hus, 
Es lueged drei Mareie drus. 
Die eine spinnt Side, 
Die andere schniitzelt Chride, 
Die dritt schnit Haberstrau, 
B'hiiet mir Gott das Chindle au ! " 

At Wettingen, the building now occupied by 
the Normal School was once an old abbey 



1 62 Legends of Switzerland 



founded in 1227 by Henry, Count of Rappers- 
wyl. This nobleman was so good and pious 
that he spent most of his time in pilgrimages, 
thereby winning the nickname of The Wanderer. 
Returning from the Holy Land, he once found 
himself in imminent danger of perishing in the 
waves, and fixing his eyes upon a bright star 
which suddenly shone through a break in the 
stormy sky, he made a solemn vow to build 
a monastery at Wettingen should his life be 
spared. 

This prayer was evidently heard, for the 
storm soon abated and the ship came safely to 
land. When the Count of Rapperswyl there- 
fore reached home, he founded the abbey, 
which, in memory of his vow, and of the star he 
saw at sea^ was called Maria Stella, or Meer 
Stern, the Star of the Sea. 

The handsome old castle of Hallwyl, the an- 
cestral home of a noble Swiss family of the same 
name, stands on the road between Lucerne and 
Lenzburg, near the Lake of Hallwyl. 

A lord of Hallwyl had three sons, and as the 
two elder ones died early, the third had to drop 
his clerical studies and prepare to fulfil his 
duties as future head of his house. Although 
this young man duly married and had a fine son, 



Aargau 



163 



it seems that he never ceased to regret his inter- 
rupted priestly career, but, surrounded by monks 
of all kinds, spent his time in religious prac- 
tices and in poring over homilies and church 
records. 

None too strong to begin w^ith, these long 
vigils and fasts so undermined his health, that 
he finally became dangerously ill. One day, 
fearing that he was about to die, he vowed he 
would send his son on a pilgrimage to the Holy 
Land should he recover. True to this promise, 
the lord of Hallwyl no sooner left his bed than he 
recalled his son, who was fighting under Rudolf 
of Hapsburg, and bade him set out immediately 
for the Holy Sepulchre. The young man, who 
thought his services more needed at home, 
nevertheless prepared to obey, for a vow was a 
sacred matter and children in those days rarely 
ventured to question parental orders. 

At parting the old lord of Hallwyl broke his 
ring in two, telling the young man that when 
death overtook him he would leave his half to 
his father confessor. The latter would adminis- 
ter the estates carefully, giving them up to none 
but the man who established his right to them 
by producing the other half of the broken ring. 

It took twenty years for John of Hallwyl to 
fulfil his father's vow. During that time the old 



164 



Legends of Sz^itierland 



man died, and the monks took possession of 
castle and estates. They were so determined 
not to give them up again, however, that they 
not only announced the death of young Halhvyl, 
but turned out of his castle an orphaned relative 
to whom he had been betrothed in her infancy 
according to his mother's wish. Alone and 
friendless, — for she refused to yield to the 
monks' suggestions and enter a convent, — this 
young girl would have died of want, had not the 
lord of Mullinen, a friend of her betrothed, 
offered her a home with his mother and sister 
in his own castle. 

Clemence gratefully accepted this kind pro- 
posal, and as she had been a mere babe when 
John of Hallwvl started out on his perilous 
journey, she did not prove faithless to him when 
she unconsciously fell in love with his noble 
friend. 

Now it happened that John of Hallwyl was 
not dead, as many supposed. On the contrary, 
he was even then on his way home to claim 
his estates. The monks, hearing this by acci- 
dent, and determined to keep his property, 
hired his^hwavmen to lie in wait for him and 
murder him before he could reach Hallwyl and 
make himself known. This bold plan might 
have succeeded, had not the lord of Mullinen 



Aargau 



chanced to hunt near the place where the high- 
waymen were ambushed. Hearing the noise of 
a fight, he spurred rapidly forward, and per- 
ceiving a knight on the point of succumbing to 
a large force, made such a gallant charge that 
the robbers fled. 

When Miillinen bent over the prostrate form 
of the man he had rescued, he found him griev- 
ously wounded, and had him carefully carried 
home. There, when the traces of blood had 
been gently removed, he recognised in the 
stranger his long-absent friend. Of course, he 
and the ladies now vied with each other in car- 
ing for Hallwyl, who, becoming aware during 
his convalescence of the affection existing be- 
tween his friend and betrothed, generously 
released her and bade them be happy together. 

As soon as he was sufficiently recovered he 
presented himself before the monks to claim 
his inheritance. They^ however, pretended not 
to recognise him, but politely declared that if 
he could produce a fragment of ring exactly fit- 
ting the one entrusted to their keeping by the 
last lord of Hallwyl, they would gladly sur- 
render the castle to him. 

Hearing this, John of Hallwyl immediately 
presented the broken ring, and the monks sent 
for the casket in which they preserved the 



1 66 Legends of Switzerland 

token left by the deceased. To John's surprise 
and indignation, however, it failed to fit his half 
of the circlet, and the monks called him an 
impostor and dismissed him empty-handed. 

Hallwyl and his friend now rode back to 
Mtillinen, determined to appeal to the feudal 
court of Aargau for justice. There, both parties 
were called upon to expose their case and take 
their oath, but as the judge was entirely at a 
loss to decide which was right, he decreed the 
matter should be settled by a judiciary duel be- 
tween John of Hallwyl and a champion selected 
by the monks. 

On the appointed day, and in the presence of 
all the lords and ladies of the country, Hallwyl 
met his opponent in the lists, and after a fear- 
ful struggle and the display of almost fabulous 
strength and courage succeeded in defeating 
him. Then, while the monks' champion lay 
where he had fallen, slowly dying from his 
many wounds, he suddenly confessed aloud that 
he and a band of assassins had been hired to 
waylay and kill Hallwyl on his return home. 

Before he could add another word he expired, 
but the monks one and all solemnly declared 
that the poor man was raving, for they had 
always been willing to relinquish possession of 
the Hallwyl estates to any one who produced 



Aargau 



167 



the right token. The mendacity of this state- 
ment was soon proved, however, for a dying 
jeweller confessed that he had been hired to 
make an exact copy of the broken ring, but 
altering its shape in such a way that the frag- 
ment in the young man's possession would fail 
to fit it. 

John of Hallwyl, having thus recovered his 
estates, soon went off to war again, and only 
when weary of fighting came home, married, 
and brought up several sons whose descendants 
still live in different parts of the country to-day. 

The ring of Hallwyl is noted in Swiss art and 
literature, and the above story forms the theme 
of poems, paintings, and historical romances, 
which, bearing an unmistakable mediaeval im- 
print, have a peculiar and enduring charm of 
their own. 

At the foot of the Wiilpelsberg, on the right 
of the beautiful Aare valley, are the Schinznach 
sulphur baths, so frequently visited by French 
and Swiss sufferers from skin diseases. 

One of the favourite walks from this point 
leads up the mountain to the ruins of Hapsburg 
Castle, the most famous of all Swiss strong- 
holds. Founded in 1020, it is the cradle of the 
imperial family of Austria, in whose hands it 



i68 



Legends of Switzerland 



remained for more than two centuries. Then, 
by papal decree, it passed out of their keeping, 
and was Swiss property until the Canton of 
Aargau presented it as a wedding gift to Rudolf, 
the prince imperial, on his marriage with a 
Belgian princess. Only one crumbling tower 
of the famous castle now stands, but the ruins 
are surrounded by such a halo of history, legend, 
and romance, that they are particularly attrac- 
tive to all visitors. 

The founders of this castle, the Counts of 
Altenburg, trace their genealogy back to the 
seventh century, when their ancestors ruled in 
Alsacia and Alemannia. Rich and influential 
even at this early date, these noblemen sought 
to extend their possessions by every means in 
their power. Their repeated encroachments 
upon their neighbours' dominions were not 
accepted without protest, however, and when 
the emperor, in answer to frantic appeals for 
justice, bade them relinquish the territory to 
which they could lay no rightful claim, they 
assumed so defiant an attitude that an armed 
struggle soon ensued. The upshot of this con- 
flict was that the grasping noblemen were 
despoiled of the main part of their estates, 
forced to leave Alsacia, and they took refuge in 
Helvetia, where they had already acquired some 



Aargau 



169 



property. There they built new homes at 
Wohlen, Altenburg, and Muri, where, by fair 
means and by foul, they continued their policy 
of self-aggrandisement until their shattered 
fortunes were fully restored. 

The sun of prosperity shining brightly over 
their heads once more, these noblemen again 
openly defied the imperial authority. But, 
taught by experience, they wisely resolved to 
prepare for future emergencies by erecting an 
impregnable fortress, in which they and their 
dependents could successfully resist even the 
emperor's forces. 

Gazing about them for the most favourable 
site for their projected stronghold^ the Alten- 
burgs finally decided upon the Wiilpelsberg. 
Tradition relates, however, that while they were 
still hesitating where to build their future castle. 
Count Radbod of Altenburg went out hawking 
one day. While he was flying his birds in the 
Aare valley, one of them got away, and refusing 
to obey his call, flew off to a neighbouring 
height. Loath to lose his favourite bird, Count 
Radbod set out in pursuit of it, scrambled up 
the wooded slopes of the Wiilpelsberg, nor 
paused until he caught the truant hawk, which 
was perched on the topmost ridge of the 
mountain. 



Legends of Switzerland 



The bird duly secured and hooded, Count 
Radbod — who had been too intent upon its 
capture to pay any attention to his surroundings 
— looked about him to find his bearings, and 
remained spell-bound before the magnificent 
view he now beheld. 

At his feet lay the Birrfeld, — a plain where 
Constantius Chlorus fought a bloody battle 
against the Alemans in 303. Many thriving 
villages now dot this part of the country, and 
their gables and church spires rise here and 
there among flourishing fruit trees. But the 
modern traveller's glance rests by preference 
upon the peaceful hamlet where Pestalozzi, 
founder of the kindergarten and prince of edu- 
cators, spent the last fev\^ years of a useful life. 

Count Radbod gazed enraptured at the exten- 
sive forests, and the picturesque valleys of the 
Aare, the Limmat, and the Reuss, tracing the 
course of these mountain streams to the point 
where they meet and merge into one, near the 
site of the old Roman station, Vindonissa. 
Then his eyes rested upon the green hills rising 
in ever widening circles around him, while 
above and behind them towered the Alps, like 
a host of snow-clad angels mounting silent guard 
over the matchless landscape. 

Charmed with the prospect before him, and 



Aargau 



171 



quickly perceiving the strategic value of the 
location, Count Radbod immediately determined 
to build his fortress on the spot where he had 
caught his hawk, calling it the Hawk's Castle, or 
Habichtsburg, in memory of the circumstances 
under which this decision had been reached. 

The castle was therefore duly begun, the 
walls being built strong and thick so as to resist 
every attack. Still, only a small part of the 
funds furnished by the family for the erection of 
the stronghold was devoted to that purpose, 
for Radbod wisely used the main portion to 
acquire numerous friends, vassals, and servants, 
who promised to stand by him and his in time 
of danger. 

The castle was not entirely finished when 
Radbod's brother. Bishop Werner, announced 
his visit to inspect the work. Upon receipt of 
this news, Count Radbod summoned his de- 
pendents, bade them hide in the neighbourhood, 
and noiselessly surround the fortress at a given 
signal. Then he went to meet the Bishop and 
escort him up to the new castle. Werner 
sincerely admired the location and strength of 
the building, but found fault because it was not 
flanked by outer walls and towers, and because 
the interior was so bare of all ornamentation. 
He finally asked Radbod somewhat testily what 



172 Legends of Switzerland 



had become of all the money sent him, for it was 
self-evident it had not all been expended on the 
fortress. Radbod good-naturedly bade the 
bishop cease his grumbling and go to bed, 
promising to prove on the morrow that every 
penny had been wisely invested in making the 
castle impregnable and in strengthening their 
position in the land. 

At sunrise, on the following day, Werner 
rose from his couch, and going to the window 
gazed in speechless admiration at the view. But 
while he stood there, feasting his eyes upon the 
flame-tipped glaciers, his attention was suddenly 
attracted by shadowy forms, which, starting up 
from behind every rock, shrub, and tree at his 
feet, stealthily surrounded the castle. In terror 
lest the imperial forces — whose coming he 
always dreaded — should have stolen a march 
upon him, and lest he and his brother should fall 
into the enemy's hands, the bishop rushed to the 
door to give the alarm. But on the threshold 
he met Count Radbod, who, smiling at his 
fright, quietly said, — 

" Rest without fear, my brother. The men 
you see yonder are your vassals and mine, fully 
armed for our defence. I acquired their .ser- 
vices with the funds entrusted to my care, for I 
knew strong walls would prove of little avail, 



Aargau 



173 



unless defended by stout hearts and willing 
hands." 

This answer, and the sight of the brave men 
now drawn up in military array for his inspec- 
tion, more than satisfied the bishop, who, ac- 
cepting Radbod's invitation, betook himself to 
the great hall of the castle, where he received 
the oath of fealty and the respectful homage of 
the new retainers of his race. Since then, all 
the members of the old Altenburg family have 
been known as the counts of Habsburg, or 
Hapsburg, a modification of the old Habichts- 
burg.^ 

The Hapsburgs throve apace in their new 
home, their power increasing until even the 
freemen of the land humbly besought their 
protection in exchange for the payment of 
certain taxes. But the ascendency thus gained 
by these noblemen made them more arrogant 
and tyrannical than ever, so that they finally 
considered themselves owners of the land, and 
lords of the free people they were gradually 
exasperating by their arbitrary treatment. 

In those days, the greatest of all the Haps- 
burg race, Rudolf III., was born in the castle, 
the emperor being his sponsor. At twenty-one, 
owing to the early death of his father, Rudolf 

1 See the author's " Legends of the Rhine." 



174 Legends of Switzerland 

became head of the family, and began that 
career of warfare and conquest for which he is 
noted in history. Afraid of nothing, and ready 
to grasp at everything, his neighbours soon 
learned to dread him, and the Bishop of Basel 
— with whom he had a feud — ^ expressed the 
general opinion of his congeners by crying out 
once in comical dismay, — 

" Sit firm upon Thy throne, O Lord God, or 
the Count of Hapsburg will crowd Thee, too, 
out of it I " 

Still, Rudolf was so frank and genial, that he 
won many friends and adherents, and his sturdy 
warriors were particularly devoted to him, be- 
cause he shared all their fatigues, cheerfully 
partook of their frugal fare, and was even seen 
by their camp fire diligently mending his worn 
garments. 

When Rudolf could not compass his ends by 
force, he frequently resorted to ruse. For in- 
stance, wishing to take a castle on the Uetliberg 
near Zurich, which was owned by a Robber- 
Knight who despoiled all the citizens passing 
along that way, he devised the following strata- 
gem. Thirty tall and strong horsemen, mounted 
upon sturdy steeds, were directed each to take 
a companion behind him, and ride up the moun- 
tain. A force of thirty men had no terrors for 



Aargau 



175 



the Robber-Knight, who boldly sallied forth 
with his garrison to attack them. But when 
he found himself face to face with double that 
number, he fled in terror followed by all his 
retainers. Rudolfs small force now entered 
the wide-open gates of the castle, and after dis- 
posing of its occupants and riches, razed it to 
the ground. 

While administering his affairs in person, 
Rudolf proved a kind and just master, and often 
sat under the linden-tree at Altorf, to award 
justice to the freemen of Uri, who had chosen 
him as their umpire. But while he was away, 
upholding the tottering fortunes of the Hohen- 
stauffens, or extending his domains, his bailiff's 
and stewards ruled with a rod of iron over the 
estates he had won. Such were their exactions, 
that the people of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwald, 
who had long prided themselves upon their inde- 
pendence, finally determined to recover their 
freedom. In 1245 they openly rebelled, but 
while Uri recovered its lost liberty, and was 
again allowed to depend directly from the 
crown, Schwyz and Unterwald were compelled 
to remain under the overlordship of the Haps- 
burg race. 



THE FOREST CANTONS 



"OUDOLF VON HAPSBURG'Smanypos- 
■'-^ sessions included an old castle on the 
Ramflue, which, although it is said to have been 
founded by the Romans, was known as Neu 
Hapsburg. Charmingly located on the banks of 
the Lake of Lucerne, this castle was a favourite 
resort of Rudolf, who went thither, in the in- 
tervals of fighting, to hunt the chamois and the 
deer. 

Tradition claims that Rudolf once set out for 
the chase from Neu Hapsburg, mounted upon 
his favourite steed, and followed by one squire, 
who rode an inferior horse, and therefore had 
some trouble in keeping up with his rapid pace. 
While crossing a beautiful green meadow, Ru- 
dolfs attention was suddenly attracted by a 
tinkling sound. His curiosity aroused, he 
spurred ahead in the direction of the noise, 
and soon beheld a priest carrying the Sacrament, 
and preceded by a sacristan dutifully ringing a 
little bell. 

At this sight, Rudolf immediately dismounted. 
Then, kneeling, he did respectful homage to the 



The Forest Cantons 177 



Blessed Body of our Lord, and in that humble 
posture watched the little procession pass along 
its way. A few moments later, he sprang up 
surprised, for the priest had come to a sudden 
standstill. After a brief period of evident hesi- 
tation, Rudolf saw him set the Host down upon 
a neighbouring stone, and begin to remove his 
sandals and gird up his cassock. Hastening 
toward him, Rudolf perceived that recent heavy 
rains had so swollen the mountain torrent which 
flowed through the meadow, that the rude 
bridge had been entirely swept away. No 
other means of crossing being available for 
many miles, the priest had determined to wade 
through the ice-cold waters, for that was his 
only chance of reaching the dying man who had 
begged for the last sacrament. 

After vainly trying to dissuade the priest from 
a struggle with the cold and rushing stream, 
Rudolf, impressed by the good man's devotion 
to duty, suddenly offered him his steed. The 
priest demurred at first, but realising he might 
not reach his parishioner in time if he had to 
wade through every torrent, he gratefully ac- 
cepted the offer. Rudolf then helped him 
mount the fiery steed, and, once safely across 
the torrent, saw him speed away to the dying 
man, whom he reached just in time to bestow 



lyS Legends of Switzerland 

the last consolations of religion and thus smooth 
his path to the grave. 

In the meantime, Rudolf patiently awaited 
the coming of his squire, then mounting the 
latter's palfrey went on his way. But, early 
next morning, the priest appeared at Neu 
Hapsburg, leading the borrowed steed by the 
bridle, and he warmly expressed his gratitude for 
the timely loan of a mount whose strength and 
speed had enabled him to reach and comfort a 
dying man. When he added, however, that he 
had come to restore the animal to its owner, 
Rudolf impetuously cried : " God forbid that I, 
or any of my men, should ever use again for 
war or the chase the steed which bore the 
sacred Body and Blood of our Blessed Lord I " 
Then he formally presented the horse to the 
priest, to have and to hold for ever, bidding 
him use it for the fulfilment of his holy duties. 

Later, on that selfsam.e day, Rudolf visited 
a convent, where a nun suddenly addressed him 
saying : " My lord, you honoured the Almighty 
by the timely gift of your horse. This good 
deed will not remain unrewarded, for it has 
been revealed to me that you and yours will 
attain the highest temporal honors." 

The castle of Neu Hapsburg was destroyed 
by the inhabitants of Lucerne in 1352, but since 



77?^ Forest Cantons 179 



then the peasants have declared that the ruins 
are haunted by the spirits of departed knights 
and ladies. A peasant girl, rowing past there 
early in the morning and late at night, said she 
often saw a gayly dressed company. Sometimes 
the knights and ladies made friendly signs to 
her, but at others the men were all in armour 
and terrified her by their threatening gestures. 
Encouraged by their signs, she once stepped 
ashore to watch them play on the grassy slope 
with disks of bright gold, which she vainly 
tried to catch in her apron and carry home. 

The nun's prediction to Rudolf was duly ful- 
filled, for the priest who had received his steed, 
having become chaplain to the Bishop of May- 
ence, used his influence to such good purpose 
that he secured Rudolfs election to the imperial 
crown of Germany, in 1273. Schiller, in his 
poem "The Count of Habsburg," claims that 
at the coronation feast at Aix-la-Chapelle an 
aged minstrel brought tears to the eyes of all 
the guests by singing a touching ballad, de- 
scribing the good deed performed by the new 
emperor, when he was only a count. 

Rudolf proved as successful as ambitious 
while seated on the German throne, but as 
the imperial crown was elective and not heredi- 
tary, he secured for his descendants Austria, 



i8o Legends of Switzerland 



Styria, and Carinthia. These lands were won 
during a war with the king of Bohemia, and have 
ever since formed the patrimony of the Haps- 
burg race, which has provided many rulers for 
Europe, America, and India. 

When Rudolf died in 1291, the imperial 
crown was disputed by two candidates, until, 
by the death of one of them, it finally fell into 
the hands of Albert of Hapsburg, Rudolfs son. 
As grasping and tyrannical as any of his race, 
Albert refused to let his nephew John — the 
son of an older brother — have the Castle of 
Hapsburg, which was his by right of inherit- 
ance. Embittered by this act of injustice, and 
despairing of redress since the wrong was com- 
mitted by the emperor himself, John began to 
plot with several malcontents, biding his time 
until he could take his revenge by slaying his 
uncle. 

John was not the only one who complained 
of injustice. The freemen of Helvetia also had 
good cause for resentment. On mounting the 
imperial throne, Rudolf had refused to confirm 
Uri's charter, and his bailiffs and stewards 
ruthlessly exerted the power entrusted to them. 
Thus, they gradually alienated the peaceful 
peasants, and drove them to the verge of de- 
spair. Mindful of their former independence. 



The Forest Cantons i8i 



and weary of tyranny and extortion, the prin- 
cipal citizens of the cantons of Uri, Schvvyz, 
and Unterwald met, seventeen days after 
Rudolfs death, and on the ist of August, 
1 29 1, took a solemn oath to stand by each 
other and resist all foreign intervention, until 
they had recovered their former freedom. This 
oath — the corner-stone of the Swiss Confed- 
eration — was duly sworn by all the principal 
inhabitants, among which figure men whose 
names are noted in legend as well as in 
history. 

Tradition has richly supplemented the meagre 
historical data of this epoch, thus giving us 
one of the most romantic, if not authentic, 
chapters of Swiss history. The legend, which 
gradually arose, has been the theme of Schiller's 
tragedy of "William Tell," of Rossini's opera 
of the same name, and a source of inspiration 
for countless poems, pictures, and statues. Such 
is the popular belief in the tale, that all the 
most famous places mentioned in it are always 
pointed out to strangers, and kept alive in the 
memory of the public by more or less pictur- 
esque monuments. 

The famous Tell legend runs as follows : The 
stewards and bailiffs of the House of Austria, 



1 82 Legends of Switzerland 



encouraged by immunity, daily grew more and 
more cruel, until, under the slightest pretext, 
they thrust Swiss freemen into damp and dark 
prisons, keeping them there for life. Fearful 
stories of the heartlessness of these bailiffs were 
noised abroad, and no one could speak strongly 
enough of their greed, cruelty, and total lack of 
principle. 

The Swiss bore this oppression as patiently as 
they could, and until their position became so un- 
bearable that they perceived they must assert and 
maintain their rights to freedom, or they would 
soon be reduced to a state of such abject slavery 
as to be deprived of all power of resistance. 
Walter Fiirst, Arnold von Melchthal, and Wer- 
ner Stauffacher, the wealthiest and most re- 
spected citizens of the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, 
and Unterwald, therefore met to discuss the 
advisability of an uprisal, and, in support of 
their views, quoted recent acts of wanton cruelty 
perpetrated by Austrian bailiffs. For instance, 
one of these men had grievously insulted the wife 
of a peaceful citizen, who, to defend her, slew 
the oppressor and was now a hunted fugitive. 

A young man of Uri was told he must surren- 
der the fine team of oxen with which he was 
ploughing, because the bailiff wanted them. As 
the messenger coolly proceeded to taunt him 



The Forest Cantons 183 



and unyoke his oxen, the young peasant, in a 
frantic effort to save the cattle, dealt a blow 
which raised a terrible outcry among the bai- 
liff's servants. Knowing that such an offence 
would be punished by life-long imprisonment 
in some foul dungeon, if not by prolonged tor- 
ture and cruel death, the young man hastily fled. 
But the blow so thoughtlessly given was visited 
upon his aged father, whose eyes were put out 
by order of the vindictive bailiff. 

Countless other examples of fiendish cruelty 
and wanton oppression were not lacking, and 
when the three men parted, it was with the un- 
derstanding that they were to ascertain how 
many of their countrymen were willing to help 
them. They furthermore arranged to meet 
again, Qete^ 17, 1307, on the Griitli or Riitli, 
a plateau at the foot of the Seelisberg, close by 
the Mythenstein, on the Lake of Lucerne. 

One moonlight night, therefore, three bands 
of ten picked men, led by Fiirst, Stauffacher, 
and Melchthal wended their way to the Griitli, 
and there beneath the open sky, and in sight of 
the snow-crowned mountains tipped by the first 
glow of dawn, the leaders, clasping hands, raised 
three fingers to heaven. In that position they 
solemnly swore to shake off the yoke of the 
oppressor, their motto being, " One for all and 



Legends of Switzerland 



all for one." This oath was fervently echoed 
by the thirty companions they had brought 
thither, and ere they parted all agreed to be 
ready to rise at a given signal on Nev^^ Year's 
Day, to drive the tyrants out of the land 
for ever. 

On the traditional spot where the Swiss pa- 
triots stood while registering this solemn oath, 
three springs of crystal clear water are said to 
have sprung. The legend further claims that 
in one of the clefts of the Seelisberg the patriots 
sit, wrapped in slumbers which will remain un- 
disturbed until their country again has need 
of their services. 

Swiss peasants say that the Three Tells — for 
such is their popular designation — have been 
seen several times. A young shepherd, for 
instance, seeking a stray goat, once came to 
the entrance of this mysterious cave, and be- 
held three men fast asleep. While staring in 
speechless amazement at their old-fashioned 
garb and venerable faces, one of the sleepers 
suddenly awoke and asked, "What time is it 
up in the world ? " 

" High noon," stammered the shepherd, re- 
membering that the sun stood directly overhead 
when he entered the cave. 

"Then it is not yet time for us to appear," 




THE OATH ON THE RUTLI. 



The Forest Cantons 185 



drowsily remarked the aged man, dropping off 
to sleep again. 

The shepherd gazed in silent awe upon the 
three Tells, then, stealing noiselessly out of the 
cave, carefully marked the spot, so he could 
find it again when he wished to return. These 
precautions were vain, however, for he and his 
companions searched every nook and cranny in 
the mountain, without ever being able to find 
the entrance to the cave of the Swiss Sleepers. 
But the natives declare that some simple herds- 
man may again stumble upon it by accident, 
and many believe that the guardians of their 
country's liberties will come forth to defend 
them in case of need. 

Among the patriots who took the oath upon 
the Riitli, was a man named Tell, son-in-law of 
Walter Fiirst, and noted far and wide for his 
skill as a marksman. Strong and sure-footed. 
Tell delighted in pursuing the chamois over 
almost inaccessible heights, and along the jagged 
edges of dangerous precipices, where a mo- 
ment's dizziness or a single misstep would have 
hurled him down on the rocks hundreds of feet 
below. Tell lived, with his wife and two little 
sons, in a hut at Biirglen, in Uri, on the very 
spot where a chapel was built in his honour in 
1 522. 



1 86 Legends of Switzerland 



It came to pass, shortly after the patriots had 
met on the Griitli, and before the time set for 
their uprisal, that Gessler, an Austrian bailiff, one 
of whose castles rose in sight of Hapsburg, deter- 
mined to ascertain by a clever device hov\r many 
men in Uri w^ere loyal to his master. He there- 
fore set up a pole in the market-place at Altorf, 
upon v^hich he hung a hat, — the emblem of 
Austrian power, — bidding a herald proclaim 
aloud that all must do homage to it under pen- 
alty of death or life-long imprisonment. 

The freemen of Uri were justly incensed 
when they heard this decree, and by common 
consent avoided passing through the square. 
When compelled to do so, they resorted to 
various stratagems to avoid obeying Gessler s 
orders without forfeiting life or liberty. One 
of their devices was to send the priest to take 
up his position with the Host directly under the 
obnoxious Austrian emblem. Of course, all 
who now passed by reverently bent the knee ; 
but it was quite evident, even to the guards, that 
the homage was paid to the Sacrament alone, 
and not to the imperial hat. 

Living only a short distance from Altorf, but 
ignorant of all that had recently happened there, 
Tell came down to the village one day, leading 
his little son by the hand. Unconscious alike 



The Forest Cantons 187 



of pole, hat, and guards, he strolled across the 
square, and was greatly surprised to find himself 
suddenly arrested for defying Gessler's orders. 
While protesting his innocence, and striving to 
make the guards release him. Tell saw Gessler 
ride by ; so, turning toward him, he loudly called 
for justice. The bailiff immediately drew near, 
and standing in the midst of the crowd com- 
posed of his attendants and of the startled in- 
habitants of Altorf, he sneeringly listened to 
Tell's account of his unjust arrest. 

Now, it happened that Gessler had often 
heard Tell's skill as a marksman loudly praised, 
and that he had long wished to see an exhibition 
of it. He therefore seized this opportunity for 
gratifying both his curiosity and his cruelty, and 
promised to set the prisoner free, if he shot an 
apple from the head of his child at a distance of 
one hundred and fifty paces. 

At these words a murmur of indignation arose 
in the crowd, but such was the fear inspired by 
the cruel Gessler that none ventured to interfere 
in behalf of Tell, whose prayers and protes- 
tations proved alike vain. Seeing no other 
means of escape, and urged by his child, who of 
his own accord ran to place himself against a 
linden-tree on the spot where the fountain now 
stands, Tell tremblingly selected two arrows 



1 88 Legends of Switzerland 



from his quiver. One he hastily thrust in his 
bosom, the other he carefully adjusted in his 
crossbow ; but when he would fain have taken 
aim, the weapon fell from his nerveless hand. 
Still, a sneer from the bailiff, and an encourag- 
ing call from his boy^ steeled Tell's heart for 
this awful test of skill. A moment later the 
child came bounding forward, proudly exhibit- 
ing the apple transfixed by his father's dart. 

Just as Tell, still dazed by emotion, was 
about to turn away, Gessler called him back to 
inquire why he had drawn two arrows from his 
quiver, when only one shot was required to 
prove his proficiency. Tell hesitated ; but when 
Gessler assured him that he could speak without 
any fear for his life, he hoarsely answered, — 

" Had I injured my child, this arrow would 
have found its goal in your heart, for my hand 
would not have trembled a second time 1 " 

Beside himself with rage at these bold words, 
Gessler now bade his guards bind Tell fast, and 
convey him immediately down to his waiting boat 
at Fliihlen, adding that while he would keep his 
promise not to kill Tell, he would nevertheless 
thrust him into a dungeon where neither sun 
nor moon would ever shine upon him, and where 
snakes would prey upon his living body. 

Placed in the boat, with fast-bound hands and 



I 




The Forest Cantons 189 



feet, his useless weapons close beside him, Tell 
despairingly watched the bailiff embark and the 
shore near Altorf slowly recede. But when the 
rowers tried to round the Axenstein, a sudden 
tempest swept down on the lake, whipping its 
waters to foam, and bringing skiff and passen- 
gers in such imminent danger that there seemed 
no hope of escape. The boatmen, remember- 
ing that Tell was the most clever steersman on 
the lakeside, now implored Gessler to let him 
help, and the prisoner, freed from his bonds, 
quickly seized the rudder. 

With strong arm and fearless gaze he stood 
there, and boldly directed the boat toward a 
broad ledge of rock forming a natural landing- 
place at the foot of the Axenberg, at a point 
where the lake is nearly seven hundred feet 
deep. 

As the boat drew near this place. Tell sud- 
denly let go the rudder, and seizing his bow and 
arrows, sprang ashore 1 This spot, since known 
as Tellsplatte, is one of the most interesting sites 
on the Lake of Lucerne, and in the chapel com- 
memorating this feat there are several paintings 
representing various phases of the legend. 

Gessler's boat, hurled back among the seeth- 
ing waves, tossed about in great danger, although 
his boatmen now made frantic efforts to save 



190 Legends of Switzerland 

their own lives. Dreading the bailiff's ven- 
geance should he manage to escape, Tell has- 
tened over the mountains to the Hohle Gasse, 
or Hollow Way, a narrow road between Kiiss- 
nachtand Immensee, along which Gessler would 
have to pass to reach home. 

There, crouching in the bushes on the steep 
bank. Tell patiently waited to see whether his 
enemy would escape from the perils of the storm. 
Before long the bailiff appeared, riding at the 
head of his troop, and evidently meditating in 
what way he could best effect his revenge upon 
Tell. His wicked plans were all cut short, how- 
ever, for an arrow from Tell's bow put a sudden 
end to his tyrannical career. The spot where 
Tell stood and where Gessler fell has long been 
marked by a small chapel, decorated with a paint- 
ing representing this scene. After ascertaining 
that Gessler was really dead, Tell fled, making 
his way back to Biirglen, where he cheered 
friends and family by the assurance that the 
tyrant could never trouble them again. 

The story of Swiss independence and of Tell's 
brave deeds has been so ably dramatised by 
Schiller, that a grateful people have carved his 
name on the Mythenstein, where it may be 
seen by passengers on the boats constantly 
plying to and fro on the Lake of Lucerne. 



The Forest Cantons 191 



Besides the three picturesque chapels known 
by the name of Tell, where anniversary services 
are held every year, and the huge statue erected 
at Altorf, on the very spot where he shot the 
apple from the head of his son, TelFs name has 
been honoured in poetry, painting, sculpture, 
and song. His death was on a par with the rest 
of his life, for when far advanced in age, he fear- 
lessly sprang into the Schachen to save a drown- 
ing child. The sudden plunge into the ice-cold 
waters of this mountain stream, and the great 
exertion required to stem its current, so enfee- 
bled the old man that he soon died. 

" And thus the great life ended ; 
God ! — was it not the best 
Of all the deeds of valour 
That won a hero's rest ? 
So mused I by the Schachen ; 
So say we, true and well 
That the last deed was the best deed 
That closed the life of Tell ! " 

Henry Morford.i 

Tradition claims that Gessler's cruel treatment 
of Tell precipitated historical events, for when 
the men of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwald heard 
that Gessler was dead, they gave the agreed 
signal for a general uprising. Then they simulta- 
1 Poems of Places — Switzerland : Longfellow. 



192 Legends of Switzerland 

neously attacked all the Austrian bailiffs, slew or 
drove them away, and razed their castles to the 
ground, after freeing their captive countrymen. 

This rebellion roused the wrath of the Em- 
peror Albert, who immediately set out from 
Hapsburg Castle to put it down with a heavy 
hand. But while crossing the Reuss^, in full 
view of his castle and retainers^ Albert was 
murdered by his nephew John and by four 
Swiss noblemen, the only persons who were 
with him. Then the murderers fled, leaving 
the emperor to breathe his last in the arms of 
a peasant woman who happened to be near. 

It is said that, wandering among the moun- 
tains, John finally reached Tell's cottage at 
Biirglen, where he stopped to beg food. Here 
he confessed what he had done, and was sternly 
reproved by Tell, who proved to him that mur- 
dering a relative in revenge for personal injuries 
and for the sake of selfish gain, was very differ- 
ent from killing a tyrant in self-defence and for 
the good of one's country. 

All but one of Albert's murderers escaped jus- 
tice ; but not content with slaying that victim in 
the most barbarous way, his wife and daughter 
persecuted all the friends and relatives of those 
who had taken part in the crime. More than a 
thousand of these unfortunates are said to have 



The Forest Cantons 193 



perished, and it is claimed that Agnes, the em- 
peror's daughter, personally superintended some 
of the executions, and rapturously exclaimed, 
" Now I am bathing in May dew I " when she 
saw their blood flow in torrents. 

On the spot where Albert died — the site of 
the old Roman Vindonissa — his widow and 
daughter erected the famous Abbey of Konigs- 
felden, which was richly decorated with histori- 
cal paintings and stained-glass windows. About 
two centuries later the abbey was secularised, 
and it is now used as an insane asylum ; but the 
principal objects of interest there are still shown 
to admiring tourists. 

Albert was succeeded by two emperors who, 
not belonging to the Hapsburg race, were in- 
clined to help the Swiss. But their brief reigns 
having come to an end, another Hapsburg was 
raised to the imperial throne, and on the 15th 
of November, 1 3 1 5 , made a determined attempt 
to conquer the Swiss. The latter, however, 
were lying in wait for his army, which they sud- 
denly attacked while it was hemmed in between 
Lake iEgeri and the mountain at Morgarten. 
Far from expecting such an impetuous onslaught, 
the imperial forces, notwithstanding all their 
boasted panoply of war, were completely routed 
13 



194 Legends of Swit:{erland 



by an inferior number of poorly armed patriots. 
The latter, impelled by long-pent fury for all 
the wrongs they had endured at the hands of 
the Austrians, fairly swept them into the lake, 
where many of the knights were drowned. 

Ever since then, at midnight on the anniver- 
sary of the battle, it is said the lake suddenly 
begins to boil, and that its seething waters as- 
sume a bloody hue. Then, from the depths of 
the lake, the spirits of all these drowned war- 
riors arise, still clad in full armour and bestrid- 
ing their huge battle steeds. Led by Death on 
his pale horse, brandishing his scythe and hour- 
glass, the dead knights march in solemn proces- 
sion around the lake, plunging back into its 
waters when the clocks in the neighbouring 
villages strike one. 

A memorial chapel, containing a painting 
representing the famous encounter at Morgar- 
ten, marks the spot where the battle was fought, 
and solemn anniversary services are held there 
every year. This memorable victory won so 
many adherents for the Swiss in their own land, 
that before long the Confederation numbered 
eight instead of three cantons. 

Seventy years after Morgarten, the Austrians 
made a second attempt to conquer the Swiss, 



The Forest Cantons 195 



but they were again defeated at Sempach, on the 
lake of the same name, near Lucerne. At first 
it seemed as if this battle would prove fatal to 
the Swiss, for the Austrians were armed with 
long pikes, which enabled them to make havoc 
in the ranks of their opponents, whose weapons 
were too short to reach them. 

Perceiving his companions fall around him, 
without being able to strike a single blow, 
Arnold von Winkelried suddenly determined to 
break the enemy's ranks. Calling loudly to his 
friends to look after his wife and children, this 
hero seized an armful of the long Austrian 
spears, and driving them into his own breast, 
fell, crying, Make way for liberty!" His 
countrymen, pouring into the breach he had 
thus made at the expense of his life, attacked 
the enemy with such fury that they soon won a 
brilliant victory. 

The battle of Sempach is commemorated by a 
monument, upon which stands the simple in- 
scription : " Hier hat Winkelried den seinen 
eine Gasse gemacht." 1386. (Winkelried here 
made a way for his friends). 

At Stanz, in Unterwald, the birthplace of 
Winkelried, a fine statue represents his heroic 
death. The Austrian spears clasped in a last 
embrace, he turns his dying glance upon his 



196 Legends of Switierland 



countrymen, urging them to rush over his pros- 
trate body against their country's foe. On the 
anniversary of the battle a ghostly voice is heard 
in the castle at Richensee, dolefully calling, 
" Conrad ! Conrad ! " In ansv^er to this cry, 
a knight in black armour, vi^ith ghastly wounds 
in head and breast, suddenly appears on the 
ruined tower, and as though responding to a roll- 
call, gruffly answers, ^' Here, Austria I " 

This apparition is said to be a lord of the 
castle, who fell at Sempach, fighting for Austria 
as bravely as one of his ancestors who lost his 
life in that cause at Morgarten. 

An outpost of the mighty Alps, Mount Pi- 
latus, on the boundary of the cantons of 
Lucerne and Unterwald, is one of the most 
picturesque features of that region. 

In the days of Roman occupation a light- 
house (lucerna) is said to have shone on the 
spot where the Wasserthurm now stands, and 
to have given its name to canton, lake, and 
town. At that epoch Mount Pilatus was known 
as Mons Fractus, Fracmont, or the Broken 
Mountain, owing to the jagged crag-like ap- 
pearance of its summit. This descriptive name, 
however, was gradually supplanted by another, 
equally appropriate, that height — seldom free 



I 



The Forest Cantons 197 

from clouds — ^being called Mons Pileatus, or 
the Capped Mountain. Every storm coming 
from the north or west gathers around this ma- 
jestic peak, which serves as a natural barometer 
for all the people dwelling within sight of it. 
According to a very old and equally popular 
rhyme, the weather probabilities are that the 
day will be fair if the clouds merely rest upon 
the mountain top ; when they extend part way 
down, it is well to be prepared for sudden 
changes ; but should trails of mist reach far 
down Pilatus' rugged sides, it is considered an 
infallible sign of a coining storm. ; In its oldest 
form this rhyme runs : — 

" Das Wetter fein und gut 
Want! Pilatus hat 'nen Hut ; 
Tragt er einen Degen 
So gibt es Regen." 

In the course of time this jingle has undergone 
sundry modifications, until the English version 
now reads : 

" If Pilatus wears his cap, serene will be the day ; 
If his collar he puts on, you may venture on the way; 
But if his sword he wields, at home you 'd better stay." 

With the introduction of Christianity, and 
the substitution of the vernacular for the Latin 
language, the original meaning of pileatus was 



198 Legends of Switzerland 



entirely forgotten. The natives therefore soon 
began to claim that the mountain was named 
after Pontius Pilate, the unscrupulous governor 
of Judea who sentenced our Saviour to death. 
Little by little this belief gave rise to the pic- 
turesque legend connected with this locality, 
which, owing to numerous accretions, is singu- 
larly complete and interesting. 

In the second century after Christ, there 
already existed an apocryphal Epistle of Pilate, 
containing his account of the trial and condemna- 
tion of Jesus Christ.^ Warned by his wife, 
Procla, who had " suffered many things in a 
dream because of him," and by sundry miracles 
enumerated in his epistle, Pilate, convinced of 
the divine origin as well as of the innocence of 
the Prisoner brought before him, nevertheless 
weakly yielded to the threats of a few among the 
Jews, and condemned our Lord to an ignomini- 
ous death. A moral coward, Pilate next sought 
to escape the natural consequences of his pusil- 
lanimous compliance by publicly washing his 
hands, and solemnly crying, " I am innocent of 
the blood of this just person ; see ye to it." 

Pilate's report and various other rumours 
concerning the death and resurrection of Christ, 

1 For the Pilate legend see the author's " Legends of 
the Virgin and Christ." 



The Forest Cantons 199 



together with frequent bitter complaints of ex- 
tortion and misgovernment, finally reached the 
ears of Tiberius. Moved by anger and curiosity, 
this emperor immediately summoned the accused 
official to Rome to render a minute account 
of his stewardship. But before Pilate could 
reach the Eternal City, Tiberius died and was 
succeeded by Caligula, who, equally incensed 
against the faithless governor, loudly boasted 
that he would make very short work of his trial. 
The Roman courtiers were therefore seized with 
unbounded astonishment when they beheld their 
savage master treat Pontius Pilate with every 
mark of extreme courtesy, and heard the mild 
and gentle tones in which he addressed him. 
But no sooner had Pilate left the tribunal than 
all Caligula's wrath flamed up anew, and he 
peremptorily ordered the delinquent governor to 
be brought in again. 

When Pilate stood before his irate judge, the 
latter, suddenly and mysteriously soothed, once 
more overwhelmed him with tokens of the high- 
est favour instead of punishing him as he wished. 
The courtiers' wonder grew apace, nor did it 
diminish when, after Pilate's second exit, the 
emperor breathed forth curses and threats even 
more violent than before. Summoned a third 
time with the same baffling result, Caligula, con- 



200 Legends oj Switzerland 



vinced that Pilate must be protected by some 
amulet of great power, bade his courtiers carefully 
search the Judean governor ere they brought 
him into his presence for a fourth and last time. 

In executing these orders, the courtiers dis- 
covered that Pilate wore under his usual gar- 
ments the " seamless robe " of Our Lord, which 
he had purchased from the soldier to whom it 
had fallen by lot. Stripped of this talisman, 
Pilate stood before Caligula, who, no longer 
restrained from anger and vituperation by the 
presence of the holy relic, poured out all the 
vials of his wrath upon the prisoner's head, and 
sentenced him to an ignominious death. 

To avoid the jeers of the Roman mob, and 
the disgrace of a public execution, Pilate is 
said to have committed suicide in his prison 
by stabbing himself with his table-knife. His 
corpse — as was then customary in cases of 
self-murder — was cast into the Tiber. But the 
waters, refusing to suffer such pollution, rose 
with unprecedented fury and overflowed their 
banks, while the thunder rolled, the lightning 
flashed, and the earth shook with such violence 
that all hearts were filled with awe. The terri- 
fied Romans therefore hastened to consult their 
oracles, and learning that the dreadful tumult 
was occasioned by Pilate's corpse, they quickly 



The Forest Cantons 201 



withdrew it from the Tiber, whose fury immedi- 
ately subsided as if by magic. To dispose of 
the body, — which could not be buried in the 
usual way, — it was now cast into the Mediter- 
ranean Sea. But there, too, its presence caused 
such dire commotion that to ward off further 
misfortunes it was again removed. 

Finding earth and water equally loath to har- 
bour such an abhorred tenant, the Romans, 
remembering they owed a grudge to the inhabi- 
tants of Vienne, in Gaul, carefully placed Pilate's 
corpse upon a barge, and sent it up the Rh5ne. 
Arrived at Vienne, the Roman envoys obediently 
cast the body into the deepest spot in the river. 
But its presence there caused such damages that 
the frightened inhabitants hastened to forward it 
on to Lausanne. The same unpleasant phenom- 
ena recurring there also, Pilate's remains were 
finally sent out into the wilderness, far from the 
haunts of men. After carrying them for many 
days up hill and down dale, the bearers finally 
reached an almost inaccessible mountain. Con- 
vinced that this point was sufficiently remote from 
civilisation to satisfy all reasonable requirements, 
they cast their uncanny burden into a small lake 
at the foot of a barren peak, and hastened away 
as quickly as they could. Still, it was only with 
the utmost difficulty that they managed to reach 



202 Legends of Swil^erland 



home, for no sooner had Pilate's body touched 
the waters of the lonely tarn, than it stirred up 
such a tempest as had never before been seen in 
that region. 

Night and day, year in and year out, the storm 
went on raging around the lonely mountain- 
top, filling with awe the hearts of the simple 
peasant-folk who dwelt in the neighbouring 
valleys. They too soon longed to be rid of the 
unquiet spirit, but could find no people willing 
to harbour a ghost which raged round the moun- 
tain, waded about the lake until it overflowed, 
stormed up and down the jagged rocks howling 
with fear and remorse, and which occasionally 
indulged in fearful wrestling-bouts with the spirit 
of King Herod, or those of other famous male- 
factors. Even in his comparatively quiet mo- 
ments, Pilate was dreaded, for then he sat aloft 
on the Giippe, — one of the peaks of the moun- 
tain, — grimly conjuring new storms, washing 
his hands in the dripping clouds, and shaking 
huge rain-drops from his trembling fingers down 
upon the fertile pastures below him. None of the 
shepherds dared venture near him, because he 
stampeded their flocks by his violent gestures, 
and often hurled cows and goats over the preci- 
pices and down on the sharp rocks, where they 
were dashed to pieces 



The Forest Cantons 203 



Years, therefore, passed by without Pilate's 
being molested in any way ; but at last there 
came a travelling scholar, who, having mastered 
the Black Art at Salamanca, was fully com- 
petent to deal with spirits of all kinds. The 
people no sooner heard of his unusual accom- 
plishments than they crowded around him, 
eagerly imploring him to cast a quieting spell 
upon Pilate's restless ghost, and proffering rich 
rewards if he would only put an end to their 
woes. 

Thus urged, the magician consented to try 
his skill. Journeying up the mountain, he came, 
after several hours of hard climbing, to the foot 
of the peak upon which Pontius Pilate sat 
watching his approach with lowering brows. 
Placing himself upon a large stone, the conjurer 
drew a magic circle around him, and then began 
his incantations. But even his most powerful 
formulas left Pilate unmoved, although they 
made the rocks around him quiver and shake as 
if about to fall. When the magician perceived 
this, he changed his position to a peak directly 
opposite the one Pilate had chosen for his favour- 
ite seat, and undismayed by his first failure, 
again began reciting all the most potent exor- 
cisms he knew. This time they were not with- 
out effect, for Pilate suddenly rose in anger 



204 Legends of Swit:{erland 

from his rocky throne and rushed toward the in- 
truder as if to sweep him off the face of the 
earth. But balked of this amiable intention 
by the magic circle, instead of whisking the ma- 
gician off into space, Pilate could only rage 
around and around him, trampling the ground 
with such fury that no grass can even now grow 
on that spot. Indeed, his mere footprints laid 
such a curse upon the soil that no dew has 
fallen upon it, nor any animal ventured to cross 
it since that day I 

After careering thus wildly around the scholar 
for some time, Pilate's ghost, weakening per- 
ceptibly, finally agreed to retire to the tarn high 
up the mountain side. There he promised to 
remain in peace, provided no one wantonly dis- 
turbed his rest, and he was allowed to range the 
mountain at will one day in the year. 

The exorcist having consented to this stipula- 
tion, Pilate further proved he had not sojourned 
among the Jews in vain, by carefully bargaining 
that a steed should be provided to bear him off 
in state to his last resting-place. The Salaman- 
can scholar therefore called up from the depths 
a flame-breathing steed of the blackest hue, 
which bore Pontius Pilate off at a truly infernal 
pace. As they dashed over the rocks, the 
steed's clattering hoofs struck out so many 



77?^ Forest Cantons 205 



sparks that the mountain was illumined from 
base to summit, and it stamped so hard that the 
marks of its flying feet can still be seen rn the 
rocks near the tarn. 

Arriving there, Pontius Pilate vanished in the 
depths of the lake, or morass, where he quietly 
stayed, thus honestly keeping his part of the 
agreement. Since then, unless disturbed by 
sceptics coming to mock at him, or cast sticks 
and stones into his retreat, Pilate has quietly re- 
posed in the depths of his lake. But although 
sure to resent any mark of disrespect, by rising 
to stir up a fearful storm, his spirit has always 
been sufficiently discriminating to make no 
demonstration when his rest is broken by acci- 
dent or through ignorance. 

Such was the dread of rousing Pilate's wrath, 
that the magistrates of Lucerne solemnly issued 
a decree forbidding all strangers to visit the tarn. 
They also made all the herdsmen take a yearly 
oath not to guide any foreigner thither, or to 
point out the road which led there. Any in- 
fringement of this edict was punished with the 
utmost severity, as can still be seen in the an- 
nals of Lucerne ; and the law remained in force 
until 158^, the time of the Reformation. 

Then a doughty pastor prevailed upon the 
magistrates to repeal their edict, and climbed up 



2o6 Legends of Switierlajtd 



to the tarn. There he convinced all the people 
that there was no further cause for their super- 
stitious fears, by flinging stones into the water, 
calling out every imaginable insult, and boldly 
challenging Pilate's ghost to rise and do its 
worst. 

Pilate's spirit, banned by the Salamancan 
student, has ever since been said to rise only on 
Good Friday. Clad in purple, he then sits 
upon a judgment seat, which comes up out of 
the lake, and repeats in pantomime the actions 
he performed on the fatal and memorable day 
when he sentenced Christ to the cross. Then, 
too, Pilate always washes his shaking hands, in 
the futile effort to cleanse himself from all share 
in that deadly sin ; and any wanderer who, by 
choice or accident, gazes at his distorted features 
at that time is sure to die within the year. On 
Good Friday, too, Pilate often rages around 
the mountain in despairing remorse, but at mid- 
night he invariably sinks down again into his 
morass. 

There are numerous variations of this legend, 
one of which claims that Pilate ruled in Vienne, 
where he committed suicide by casting himself 
into the Rh6ne. Another version says that, full 
of remorse for his crime, he wandered from 
place to place, until in despair he finally 



The Forest Cantons 207 



drowned himself in the lake on the mountain 
bearing his name. 

Such was the terror inspired by this mountain, 
and the difficulty of reaching its summit, that 
the first ascension is said to have taken place 
only in 1 5 18. As one can seldom obtain a clear 
view even after bearing the fatigue of such an 
arduous climb, it was rarely visited by strangers 
until the wonderful railway was built which now 
enables travellers to reach its top with the utmost 
ease. Since then Mount Pilatus has become a 
favourite goal for excursions, and those who 
have once beheld the extensive panorama visible 
from its crest can never forget the marvellous 
view, which, extending as far as the eye can 
reach, includes glaciers, mountains, valleys, 
streams, and lakes, not to mention picturesque 
towns, villages, churches, and castles, which 
abound in that section of the country. 

Besides the legend from which Mount Pilatus 
is popularly supposed to have derived its name, 
many others are told relating to various points 
on the mountain. For instance, it is said that 
a cooper from Lucerne once climbed up its 
rocky sides in quest of wood for barrel hoops 
and staves, and fell into a deep gully whose 
sides were so high and steep that he could not 



2o8 Legends of Switzerland 

get out of it again. The soil at the bottom was 
so soft and slimy that the cooper, uninjured by 
his fall, next tried to make his way out by 
following the bottom of this cleft. He could 
find no issue, however, but finally came to a 
sort of tunnel in the rocks. Entering boldly, 
he suddenly found himself face to face with a 
couple of huge, fire-breathing dragons. A hasty 
sign of the cross, and a fervent, if trembling 
prayer for the Virgin's protection, effectively 
closed the mouths of the dragons already gaping 
wide to devour him, and transformed them into 
gentle creatures which fawned upon him, hum- 
bly licking his hands and feet. Their manners 
were so ingratiating that the cooper soon 
ceased to fear them, and sitting down beside 
them, spent six months in their company, feed- 
ing as they did upon a salty substance which 
exuded from a crack in the rocks. 

Winter over, the dragons, who had lain supine 
in the cave all that time, wriggled slowly out 
into the gorge, where they began stretching 
and shaking themselves, spreading and furling 
their wings, as if to make sure their pliancy had 
not suffered from a long period of inaction. 
Then the amazed cooper suddenly beheld one of 
the monsters rise straight up into the air, and 
once out of the deep cleft, fly in wide circles 



The Forest Cantons 209 



far above his head and finally pass out of 
sight. 

The second dragon soon after showing signs 
of a desire to follow its mate, the cooper 
promptly grasped it by the tail, and was 
whisked up out of the abyss, but gently set 
down again on a soft grass plot near the city of 
Lucerne. On entering that town, he was rap- 
turously welcomed by his friends, who, after 
vainly seeking him on the mountain, had given 
him up as dead. 

In token of gratitude for his marvellous pres- 
ervation, and safe return to his native city, 
the cooper gave a communion service to the 
church of St. Leodegarius in 1420. On this 
service is a quaint representation of his adven- 
ture with the dragons on Mount Pilatus. The 
legend declares, however, that, unable to digest 
common viands after living so long upon the 
dragons' mysterious food, the cooper died 
of starvation two months after his return to 
Lucerne. 

Another legend claims that a peasant from 
Lucerne once beheld a dragon rise slowly from 
the Rigi and fly heavily towards Mount Pilatus. 
Gazing in open-mouthed astonishment at this 
wonderful sight, the peasant next saw the mon- 
H 



2IO Legends of Switzerland 

sterdrop something, and when sufficiently recov- 
ered from his terror to investigate what it might 
be, he discovered it was a huge clot of blood 
in which lay imbedded a precious stone. 

This jewel was found in time to possess won- 
derful curative powers, for a mere touch of it 
healed victims of the pest and of other equally 
fatal diseases. The Dragonstone was, there- 
fore, carefully preserved in the city, where 
it can still be seen, although for some time 
past its medicinal powers are said to have 
deserted it. 

While the summit of Mount Pilatus is quite 
barren, the lower slopes provide pasture for 
large herds of cows and goats which graze there 
under the care of their herdsmen. One of the 
highest and finest pastures is the Briindlisalp, 
near which is a cave known as the Dominik- 
hohle or Dominican's Grotto. A huge rock 
bearing the rough semblance of a human form 
stands at the entrance to this cave. 

According to tradition, a mountain giant was 
once posted in this grotto to keep watch over 
the region round about, and give the people due 
notice of the approach of any foe. When an 
enemy drew near, he gave the alarm ; then, 
placing himself at the head of the natives, 



The Forest Cantons 211 



attacked the foe with such strength and fury 
that he always secured the victory for his 
country. 

But a day finally came when the Swiss, 
who had never borne arms except to defend 
themselves against the incursions of strangers, 
suddenly found themselves unable to agree, 
and resorting to force, began a civil war. Feel- 
ing strife in the air, the giant rushed out of his 
cave to ascertain what was the matter. But 
when he beheld brother armed against brother, 
saw the Swiss attack each other with rage, and 
viewed their blood flow in torrents, he was so 
horror-struck that his cry died on his lips, his 
blood froze in his veins, and he stood there im- 
movable, turned into stone ! Ever since then, 
the petrified giant at the entrance of the Domi- 
nican Cave is pointed out as an emblem of 
patriotism and as a solemn warning against civil 
strife. 

Mount Pilatus is said to have long been the 
home of countless little gnomes who hid in 
every nook and crevice and under every stone. 
These dwarfs were about eighteen inches high, 
and wore long green mantles to conceal the 
fact that they had goose-shaped feet. Bright 
red caps were jauntily perched on top of their 



212 Legends of Switzerland 



snow-white hair, while long beards of the same 
colour flowed down over their breasts. The 
gnomes not only watched over the chamois, 
bounding from rock to rock, but tended the fish 
sporting in the depths of the mountain streams, 
and protected all game from the greed of wanton 
sportsmen. 

These gnomes were so obliging that they 
cheerfully helped the herdsmen watch and tend 
their cattle, milk the cows, make butter or 
cheese, and in exchange for their manifold ser- 
vices merely required a small bowlful of milk or 
cream. Gentle and helpful as long as they were 
treated kindly, the gnomes were sure to revenge 
themselves upon any mortals who ill-treated 
them or their proteges, or hurt their feelings 
by trying to get a sight of their misshapen 
feet. 

A rich peasant once pastured his cattle high 
up on the beautiful Kastelnalp, on Mount Pila- 
tus, where the grass was so rich that the cows 
had to be milked three times a day. Magdalen, 
the only daughter of a widowed cousin, once 
painfully made her way up to this alp to beg 
for a little help for her sick mother, who had 
neither food nor medicine in the house. The 
rich man, who had provisions in plenty, and who 
stored away cheese after cheese in his cellars. 



The Forest Cantons 213 



nevertheless refused to help his poor relatives, 
and sent Magdalen home empty-handed and in 
tears. 

Overtaken on her way down the mountain by 
a sudden thunder-storm, the girl sought shelter 
in the hut of her lover, a herdsman to whom she 
confided all her sorrows. A generous, noble- 
hearted fellow, Alois no sooner heard of his 
sweetheart's destitution and disappointment than 
he ran to get a small cheese, the only food he 
had in the house, and forced her to accept it for 
her starving mother. The storm over, Magda- 
len set out again with lightened heart, but her 
foot suddenly slipping on the wet grass, she let 
go the precious cheese, which, bounding from 
rock, to rock, rolled over the edge of a precipice, 
into whose depths it disappeared. 

Magdalen's tears now flowed afresh ; but while 
she sat there wringing her hands in despair, she 
suddenly felt a twitch at her dress. Looking 
down, she there beheld one of the tiny mountain 
spirits, carrying a small cheese upon his shoul- 
der, and holding a bundle of medicinal herbs in 
his hand. 

Weep no longer," the little man gently said. 
'•The hard-hearted owner of the Kastelnalp shall 
be duly punished for his refusal to help you. 
In the meantime take these herbs, which will 



214 Legends of Switzerland 

restore your mother's health, and I am sure both 
you and she will enjoy this cheese." 

The little man then vanished, leaving his gifts 
behind him, and Magdalen hastened joyfully 
home. Her first care v^^as to prepare herb tea 
for the patient, whose health was miraculously 
restored as soon as she had tasted it. But when 
Magdalen tried to cut the cheese the kind- 
hearted gnome had given her, she was amazed 
to find it was a solid lump of pure gold I She 
and her mother were so rich with this treasure 
that they soon purchased the Briindlisalp, where 
Magdalen and Alois, a happy husband and wife, 
tended their flocks together. 

As for the hard-hearted owner of the Kasteln- 
alp, he was justly punished for his lack of char- 
ity. The sudden rain-storm, loosening the rocks 
above his pasture, started a landslide which cov- 
ered his alp with such a mass of loose stones 
that not a blade of grass has ever been seen on it 
since. Besides this, a fragment of rock struck 
the owner as he fled, and breaking both his legs, 
left him so badly crippled that he never walked 
without crutches again. 

As picturesque as Mount Pilatus, although 
in a different way, and far more accessible for 
pedestrians, the Rigi has long been a centre of 



The Forest Cantons 215 



attraction for travellers from all parts of the 
world. Before the two railways were built, 
which now carry passengers up to the mountain- 
top in less than an hour and a half, ascensions 
were frequently made on foot or on horseback. 
This climb was cheerfully undertaken in hopes 
of enjoying the marvellous views obtainable from 
many points on the mountain, and the vast pano- 
rama, with changing hues at sunset and sunrise, 
which can best be seen from the mountain's crest. 

The slopes of the Rigi are now all covered 
with orchards and rich pastures, for although 
snow frequently falls on its summit even in mid- 
summer, it never lingers there long, owing to the 
warm rays of the sun striking directly upon it. 
There are countless points of interest to be seen 
on this mountain, but the most characteristic of 
all its legends is connected with the gushing 
spring of ice-cold water at Rigi-Kaltbad. 

We are told that in the days when Austrian 
bailiffs still exercised their tyranny over the land, 
three lovely sisters dwelt in the Arth valley at 
the foot of the Rigi. Not content with despoil- 
ing these defenceless maidens of all their worldly 
goods, the bailiff of Schwanau, although aware 
that they loathed him, persecuted them with his 
unwelcome attentions, and even attempted to 
rob them of their honour. 



2l6 



Legends of Switzerland 



In their terror lest they should become victims 
of this evil man's lust, the sisters fled from Arth 
one night, and boldly rushed into the dense for- 
est which then covered all the slopes of the moun- 
tain. The wild beasts abounding in that region 
seemed to these helpless maidens far less to be 
dreaded than the human beast whose pursuit they 
were trying to escape. They therefore bravely 
threaded their way up the Rigi by the dim light 
of the stars, nor paused in their flight until they 
reached a sheltered plateau high up on the 
mountain. 

Exposed to the southern sun, and provided 
with a spring of crystalline water flowing plenti- 
fully from the rocks near by, this place seemed so 
remote from mankind, and so fitted by nature to 
serve as a safe retreat, that the three sisters deter- 
mined to spend the rest of their lives there. They 
therefore built a little hut of bark stripped from 
the trunks of fallen trees and of wattled branches, 
and gathering moss for their beds, spent summer 
and winter there in utter seclusion. The ber- 
ries and edible roots collected on the mountain 
side were their only food, while the sparkling 
water from the fountain served as their sole bev- 
erage. In their gratitude for escaping from their 
cruel persecutor, the sisters, who had always 
been remarkable for their piety, spent most of 



The Forest Cantons 217 



their days and part of their nights in praising God 
for their deliverance, fervently praying that they 
might live and die in the service of their Maker. 

Although entirely cut off from mankind, — for 
no one ever ventured so far up the mountain 
then, — and notwithstanding the cold and the 
other privations they had to endure, the sisters 
dw^elt here year after year, without a murmur 
over their hard fate. Such was their piety, that 
the angels kept constant watch over them^ and 
finally bore their sinless souls to heaven, leaving 
three lambent flames to hover over their tenant- 
less bodies. 

In the meantime no one knew what had be- 
come of the three girls who had vanished so 
mysteriously from the Arth valley, and their 
former friends, gazing up at Mount Rigi, little 
suspected that those tender maidens were even 
then living like hermits far above their heads. 
When the sisters died, however, the miraculous 
lights hovering over their bodies were distinctly 
perceived from various parts of the lake and 
valley, greatly rousing the curiosity of all who 
saw them. Night after night the lights twinkled 
up there in undiminished brightness, until the 
stars paled and the sun rose, flooding mountain, 
lake, and valley with its golden beams. 

Thinking some holy hermit must have built 



2i8 Legends of Switzerland 



his cell up there, and wishing to satisfy their 
curiosity as well as secure his blessing, some 
herdsmen determined to make their way up the 
mountain in spite of pathless forests and dense 
undergrowth. After a long and arduous climb, 
they finally reached the plateau, where they 
Vv^ere amazed to find a hut showing signs of pro- 
longed occupation, but now fast falling into 
ruins. In searching for further traces of the 
supposed hermit, they suddenly discovered the 
bodies lying side by side near the ever-flowing 
spring, and beheld the three flames float slowly 
upward and vanish into the blue sky. 

Awed by this miracle, the herdsmen rever- 
ently buried the three corpses, and over the spot 
where they rested, built a rustic chapel which 
was first dedicated to the Virgin Mary and then 
to the archangel St. Michael. A church now 
stands on this hallowed spot, which is frequently 
visited by pilgrims, as well as by those who 
come to Rigi-Kaltbad for health or for pleasure. 
The spring, which still gushes from the rock, was 
long known as the Schwesternborn, in memory 
of the pious sisters, whose sinless lives and death 
cast a glamour of romance over that spot. 

The ruins of the Castle of Schwanau, on the 
island of the same name, in the Lake of Lowertz, 



The Forest Cantons 219 



at the foot of the Rigi, are connected with the 
above legend, because here lived the cruel per- 
secutor from whom the pious sisters fled. Not 
content with driving these girls away from home, 
the Lord of Schwanau once kidnapped a maiden 
from Arth, whom he carried by force into this 
castle, where she vainly tried to escape from his 
clutches. This lady, however, was not entirely 
destitute of male protectors, and when her 
"brothers heard how she had been treated, they 
sallied forth in anger and slew her ravisher. 
Then calling the freemen of Schwyz to their aid, 
they captured and destroyed the castle, leaving 
it a mass of smoking ruins, with only one tower 
standing to serve as a monument of the Lord of 
Schwanau's crimes and of their revenge. 

It is said that although the cruel kidnapper 
was slain nearly six hundred years ago, his spirit 
can still find no rest. Every year, at midnight, 
on the anniversary of the day when the frantic 
girl rushed wildly through the castle to escape 
his pursuit, a flash of lightning and a deep roll 
of thunder herald his return to the scene of his 
crime. Suddenly he appears in the midst of the 
ruins, where he stands, quaking with fear, until 
a maiden, clad in white and bearing a flaming 
torch, rushes out of the tower. Then the bailiff 
utters a blood-curdling cry of terror, and turn- 



2 20 Legends of Switzerland 



ing, races madly from one part of the castle to 
the other, closely pursued by his innocent vic- 
tim. Over crumbling stones, up and dov^n the 
ruined tower, through former passages and 
along ruined battlements, pursuer and pursued 
hasten with flying steps, until, seeing no other 
hope of escape, the Lord of Schwanau, with a 
last mad shriek, plunges from the parapet into the 
lake, whose dark waters close with a dull splash 
over his head. Then the avenging maiden 
vanishes, not to be seen again until the hour 
strikes when she must once more sally forth to 
torture the bailiff for his heinous crime. 

Another legend, also connected with the Lake 
of Lowertz, claims that a church once stood 
very near the edge of the water. There, while 
the women and children of the neighbourhood 
knelt within its holy precincts, Sunday after 
Sunday, dutifully reciting their prayers, the men 
sat on the church steps, smoking, drinking, and 
gambling. Such was their lack of respect for 
religion and the divine service, that they even 
swore out loud, and flung their dice down upon 
the stones with such violence that the noise 
often drowned all sounds of prayer and praise. 

These wicked men, who mocked at the priest 
whenever he tried to make them change their 



The Forest Cantons 221 



evil ways, were, however, to be sorely punished 
for their sacrilegious behaviour. One Sunday, 
while gambling on the church steps as usual, a 
sudden storm swept over the little lake, and be- 
fore they could gather up their dice or scramble 
to their feet, a huge wave swept right over their 
heads. At the same moment the church sank 
down into the depths of the lake, where it still 
lies many fathoms under water. Some of the 
local boatmen claim that the top of the church 
spire can still be seen when the water is clear, 
and that at the wonted hour for worship the 
bells can always be heard ringing a soft and 
musical peal. Then the sound of prayer and 
praise becomes faintly audible, and very keen 
ears can distinguish a rattle of dice and mut- 
tered oaths. The women and children are said 
to be perfectly happy in their endless adoration, 
but the men are compelled to continue for ever 
the sacrilegious game which has become pro- 
longed and unbearable torture. 

Leaving the city of Stanz and going up the 
Aa valley, toward the Titlis, which forms the 
boundary between the cantons of Uri and 
Bern, you pass Engelberg, and the Siirenen- 
alp, of which the following characteristic 
legends are told. 



222 



Legends of Swit:{erland 



Count Conrad von Seldenbiiren, in a moment 
of great danger, made a solemn vow that he 
would build a monastery should he escape un- 
harmed. Saved from his imminent peril, he 
immediately prepared to keep his promise, and 
with that purpose in view, set out with a number 
of his friends and retainers to select a site for 
the projected building. 

Riding along the valley, he drew rein from 
time to time to admire the lovely landscape, and 
to inhale the perfumed breezes wafted down 
from the surrounding mountains. There were 
so many charming spots that Conrad, quite 
bewildered by the choice, finally breathed a 
fervent inward prayer for divine guidance. 
Looking up a moment later, he suddenly be- 
held an angel host sweep down through the 
blue sky. They alighted on a neighbouring emi- 
nence, where the celestial choir intoned a hymn 
of praise, their voices faintly reaching Conrad's 
ear and filling his heart with ineffable bliss. 

The hymn ended, the angels again rose up 
into heaven ; but Conrad, overjoyed by the 
miracle vouchsafed him, loudly declared that 
not only should the monastery be built on the 
hill upon which the angels had rested, but that 
it should ever after be known as the Engelberg, 
or Angels' Mountain. 



The Forest Cantons 223 



Founded in 11 19, the Engelberg Abbey soon 
became rich and prosperous, for the monks 
owned all the pastures around there, and had so 
many head of cattle that they stored away count- 
less cheeses in their great cellars. The choicest 
of all their grazing grounds were, however, on 
the Siirenenalp, where they sent their herdsmen 
with their finest cattle. 

One of these men is said to have developed 
a special affection for a silvery-white sheep en- 
trusted to his care, which followed him wher- 
ever he went, and so became a great pet. His 
fondness for the creature became such that he 
finally baptized it with holy water stolen from 
the monastery chapel. He did this, hoping to 
preserve it from all harm ; but no sooner was 
the sacrilegious ceremony accomplished than 
the silvery-fleeced sheep, transformed into a 
raging monster, fiercely attacked shepherds and 
flocks, and drove them away from the rich pas- 
tures. Such was the fear inspired by this crea- 
ture — which no weapon could wound — that 
the peasants, one and all, refused to venture 
up the mountain, and even the much frequented 
Siirenen Pass was entirely deserted. 

The monks of Engelberg, unable to use their 
pastures themselves, or to derive any income 
by renting them out to others, finally sold them 



2 24 Legends of Switzerland 



for a mere song to the people of Uri. The 
latter, thrifty in the extreme, could not bear the 
thought that the fine grass on the Siirenenalp 
was going to waste, so they tried various devices 
to kill or capture the demoniacal sheep. Weap- 
ons, prayers, and exorcisms proving equally un- 
availing, they finally bespoke the good offices 
of a travelling scholar, who had studied the 
Black Art under no less capable an instructor 
than Satan himself. 

After sundry liberal potations of the warm 
southern wine brought by the Urners from Italy 
over the famous St. Gothard and Furka passes, 
and after duly securing a pocketful of gold, the 
magician gave the people minute directions, 
assuring them that if carefully carried out they 
would settle the obnoxious sheep for ever. 

By his directions, the Urners selected a snow- 
white bull, which was fed with the milk of one 
cow during the first year, and with that of two 
during the second. Increasing the rations of 
this animal at the rate of a cow per year, the 
bull in the ninth year was consuming the entire 
produce of nine cows, and had grown to a 
prodigious size. 

The ninth year ended, a virgin from Atting- 
hausen, carefully arrayed in bridal white, was 
told to lead the chosen bull to the Siirenenalp. 



The Forest Cantons 225 



Her little hand passed through the ring set in 
the bull's nose, this maiden slowly wended her 
way up the mountain, followed by the bull, 
which obeyed her slightest touch. When they 
reached the choicest pasture, the maiden sud- 
denly let go her charge, for the monster sheep 
stood very near and about to attack her. At 
the same moment the bull thundered past her 
with lowered horns, and rushing toward the 
christened sheep began a terrible fight. The 
mountain shook and groaned beneath the tramp- 
ling feet of the animals, which wrestled together 
with locked horns, while black clouds loomed 
up over the pasture, blotting out the bright 
sunshine, and making the air oppressively hot 
and close. 

The darkness soon grew so intense that the 
people in the valley could no longer distinguish 
either trembling maiden or struggling monsters. 
All at once a dazzling flash of lightning rent the 
black clouds asunder, and it was instantly fol- 
lowed by a peal of thunder so loud and pro- 
longed that the peasants, ducking their heads 
between their knees in terror, tightly closed 
their eyes. 

When they again ventured to look up, they 
fairly gasped with amazement, for the blue sky 
again arched above the alp, the storm clouds 
15 



226 Legends of Switzerland 

were rapidly drifting away, and golden sunbeams 
flooded the spot where bull and sheep had met. 

No trace of cattle or maiden being visible, 
the peasants, after some hesitation, timidly ven- 
tured up the mountain to see what had become 
of both. On the grass they found a bloody 
and trampled mound of flesh, which upon in- 
vestigation proved to be the remains of the 
accursed sheep, but the maiden had vanished 
for ever, leaving no trace. On the banks of 
the Aawasser, quite near its source, they further 
discovered the body of the snow-white bull, 
which, having drank too greedily of the ice-cold 
waters while overheated from his exertions, had 
met with a sudden but natural death. 

Since then, the place where the bull expired 
has been known as the Bull's Stream, or the 
Steersbrook, and cows, sheep, and goats have 
feasted unmolested upon the luscious pastures 
on the Siirenenalp. Besides, in grateful recog- 
nition for the white bull's services, the people 
of Uri placed his head upon a shield, decreeing 
that ever after the head of a bull should grace 
the official seal of the canton of Uri and form 
its sole coat of arms. 

At the northern extremity of the canton of 
Uri, and at the point where the Lake of Lucerne 



The Forest Cantons 227 



makes a sudden southward bend, rises the 
Seelisberg, renowned alike for its beautiful 
scenery and rich pastures. Here once dwelt a 
peasant who, having won the good-will of the 
mountain dwarfs, often received their help. 
The herdsman, in return for their favours, lav- 
ished upon them the best of all he had, and 
when called away by urgent business, often left 
them in charge of chalet and herd. 

The mountain dwarfs could always be trusted 
to see to everything, provided the Fohn, or 
south wind, did not blow. But whenever the 
breath of that strong wind swept over the gla- 
ciers, they one and all crept far down into the 
bowels of the earth ; whence they did not 
emerge until it ceased to rage. 

Once, while the herdsman was on the oppo- 
site side of the lake, the Fohn suddenly broke 
loose with such fury that although he made 
frantic efforts to cross the water, it was four 
whole days before the waves subsided enough 
to enable him to return home. During all that 
time the dwarfs had cowered down in the depths 
of the earth ; so nearly all the cattle had perished 
from hunger and thirst. When the peasant 
entered his stables and saw this sad state of af- 
fairs, he tore his hair, and in his despair even 
cursed his little friends. The latter, who in 



2 28 Legends of Switzerland 

ordinary times would have resented the slightest 
approach to bad language, patiently bore all his 
reviling, and when he was somewhat cooler, 
offered to teach him the art of making cheese 
from sweet milk. This would enable him to 
use much produce generally lost because it did 
not thicken in time for use. 

The herdsmen, on hearing this offer, reluc- 
tantly admitted that if it were possible to make 
cheese from sweet milk, he might yet retrieve 
his fortunes. So the dwarfs bade him kill his 
old goat, showed him how to curdle milk by 
using its stomach, as rennet, and taught him to 
make the excellent cheese for which the See- 
lisberg is still noted. Thanks to the secret 
revealed by the repentant dwarfs, the peasant 
soon became rich again, and when he died at a 
good old age, he left behind him fine pastures, 
countless heads of cattle, and the invaluable re- 
ceipt which he had learned from his little friends, 
and which his descendants still use. 

In going over the Klausen Pass, and in cross- 
ing the boundary of the cantons of Glarus and 
Uri, one is reminded of the famous old quarrel 
concerning this frontier. Both cantons once 
claimed the best pastures along it, and as the 
herdsmen often came to blows over this matter, 



The Forest Cantons 229 



it was finally arranged to settle the dispute once 
for all. 

The jury before whom the matter was laid, 
composed of the most honest and influential 
citizens in both cantons, decreed that as the 
matter could not be settled satisfactorily other- 
wise, it should be decided by a race. Accord- 
ing to their minute directions, each canton was 
to select a cock and a champion. On an ap- 
pointed day, at their respective cocks' first crow, 
these champions were to start from Altorf and 
the Linth valley, and running with all their 
might, fix the boundary line for ever on the spot 
where they finally met. This wise decree 
pleased both cantons ; cocks and champions 
were duly chosen, and the day for the race was 
eagerly expected. 

The people of Glarus, thinking their rooster 
would be most likely to wake early if well fed 
and tended, lavished every care upon him, while 
those of Uri kept theirs half starved, declaring 
he would sleep little if hungry and thirsty. 

When fall came and the time appointed for 
the race, the Urner's conjectures proved correct, 
for their skinny rooster awoke at the very first 
gleam of dawn. His hoarse crow had scarcely 
been uttered, when their champion set out from 
Altorf for his race to the frontier. 



230 Legends of Switzerland 



Over in Glarus, however, matters were less 
promising, for while all the people of the Linth 
valley stood in expectant silence around their 
cock, he slept on and on, until all the changing 
tints of dawn had coloured the sky in turn, and 
the sun rose triumphant above the horizon. 
Then he gave a lusty crow ; but although the 
Glarus champion ran his best, he had set out so 
long after his rival that he soon saw him coming 
rapidly down the Grat. 

When they met, the Urner triumphantly 
cried : " Here is the boundary I " 

But the Glarner, pleading for his community, 
said : " Neighbour, I pray thee, be so just as 
to grant me a bit of the fine pasture land thou 
hast acquired by good luck." 

At first the Urner would not consent, but as 
his antagonist continued to plead with gentle 
importunity, he finally exclaimed : " Well, friend, 
thou shalt have as much ground as thou canst 
carry me over 1 " 

The overjoyed man from Glarus now picked 
up his opponent, and although the latter was 
heavy, and the road led up a steep hill, toiled 
valiantly onward until he sank down lifeless far 
up the slope. By his heroic efforts this man 
thus won a considerable piece of pasture land 
for his fellow-citizens, who, in grateful memory 



The Forest Cantons 231 



of his efforts in their behalf, buried him on the 
spot where he fell, and still speak of his feat of 
strength with wonder and admiration. 

The marvellous St. Gothard Railway, which 
cost ten years of persistent labour, crosses al- 
most countless tunnels and bridges, and gives 
the traveller an opportunity to see some of the 
finest and wildest scenery in the world. At 
Altorf it passes the Capuchin Monastery, in 
connection with which the following story is 
told. 

The monks, in olden times, lived on a very 
friendly footing with the people all around there, 
until one of them, meeting a pretty girl on a 
lonely path, declared he must have the bunch 
of Alpine flowers she wore on her breast, and a 
kiss besides. The peasant maiden, who had 
picked the flowers for her lover, and who was 
far from expecting such behaviour on the part of 
one of the monks, gave a loud shriek when he 
attempted to secure the bouquet and salute her 
by force. 

At the same instant the ground shook, a wide 
crevice appeared, whence rose a cloud of smoke. 
Then a slip knot suddenly closed around the neck 
of the monk, who was dragged down into the 
abyss, which closed over him with an ominous 



232 Legends of Switzerland 



crash ! Since then, if we are to believe the 
chronicles, no monk from the Capuchin convent 
has ever dared raise his eyes to any of the girls 
of the town, or to exchange even a conventional 
greeting with them. 

One of the tunnels crossed by the railroad, 
is near a ravine which is known as the Pfaffen- 
sprung or the Monk's Leap, and owes its name 
to the following legend. A wicked monk once 
kidnapped a young girl, and was fleeing with her 
through the mountains, when he suddenly dis- 
covered that he was pursued. To escape from 
his would-be captors, and retain possession of 
the girl he had carried off, this monk ran to the 
edge of the Reuss. There, seizing her in his 
arms, he took a desperate leap, and — helped by 
the Devil — landed safely on the other side I 
According to some versions of the story, the 
monk was none other than the Evil One himself, 
for it is claimed no one else could have leaped 
across a chasm which measures no less than 
twenty-two feet at this place. 

The old-fashioned stage road which winds its 
way over the St. Gothard, passes through Schoel- 
lenen, Goeschenen (the entrance to the St. 
Gothard tunnel), and over the new Devil's 



The Forest Cantons 233 



Bridge. This is built across the Reuss at a 
point where steep rocks tower above and below 
it on all sides, and where the scenery is ex- 
tremely wild and impressive. 

From the new bridge one can see the remains 
of a more ancient structure, of which the follow- 
ing legend is told, as well as of all old bridges 
built in dangerous or difficult places, such as 
that of Pont-la-Ville over the Sarine in Fri- 
bourg, and the one in the ravine of the Morge 
in the Valais. 

Already in very olden times the people of Uri 
had discovered that if they could only establish 
a safe road over the St. Gothard mountain they 
would be able to earn many a penny by trading 
with Italy. They therefore spared neither pains 
nor expense, and built one foot after another of 
the road, even piercing the hard rock in one spot 
to make what is still known as the Urner Loch, 
or Hole of Uri. Countless apparently insur- 
mountable obstacles were gradually overcome, 
and the road, which had been begun on both 
sides of the mountain, was rapidly drawing close 
together near the banks of Reuss. There, how- 
ever^ the builders paused appalled on either 
bank, for it seemed quite impossible to bridge 
the awful chasm near the falls. 

A meeting was therefore called at Goeschenen, 



234 



Legends of Switzerland 



where, although there was no lack of talking, 
smoking, and drinking, no satisfactory decision 
could be reached. A stranger, clad in black, 
with broad-brimmed hat and bold heron feather, 
sat at a neighbouring table and listened atten- 
tively to this discussion. Finally, seeing the 
meeting about to break up, he drew near the 
talkers, and taking a seat beside the principal 
magistrate in front of the fire, announced that 
he was a famous builder, and could span the 
stream before morning. He even offered to 
show them a fine bridge there at dawn, on the 
next day, provided they were willing to pay his 
price. 

One and all now exclaimed that nothing he 
could ask would seem too much, so the stranger 
in black quickly responded, — 

" Very well, then, it is a bargain I To-mor- 
row you shall have your bridge, but in payment 
I shall claim the first living creature which passes 
over it. Here is my hand upon it 1 " 

Saying these words, he seized the hand of the 
astonished magistrate beside him, and before any 
one could add another word, disappeared. The 
people gazed at one another in silence for a 
moment, then made furtive signs of the cross. 
As soon as the chief magistrate could speak, 
he loudly declared the stranger must be his 



The Forest Cantons 235 



Satanic Majesty in person 1 In support of this 
assertion, he declared that the stranger, while sit- 
ting in front of the fire, had boldly thrust his feet 
right into the red-hot coals, where he kept them 
while talking, as if the heat were agreeable to 
him ; and added that he had distinctly felt 
sharp claws when the man in black shook hands 
with him to close the bargain. 

All now shuddered with fear, and a general 
wail of terror arose. But a tailor who was 
present at the meeting, promptly bade his fellow- 
citizens fear naught, for he would settle the bill 
with their architect on the morrow. This offer 
was gladly accepted, the meeting was speed- 
ily dissolved, and all hastened home, because 
none of them cared to be out after dark while 
still under the spell of their recent encounter 
with the Spirit of Evil. That night no one 
slept in the neighbourhood, for although the 
sky had been clear when they went to bed, a 
sudden storm arose and raged with fury until 
morning. 

Amid the roll of thunder, incessant flashes of 
vivid lightning, and violent gusts of wind, they 
heard the splitting and falling of rocks, which 
seemed to roll all the way down the steep moun- 
tain side and crash into the valle}'. But when 
morning came, no signs of storm were left, and as 



236 Legends of Switzerland 

soon as the sun had risen and they again dared 
venture out, all rushed forth in a body to see 
what had happened. When they drew near the 
Reuss, they could not sufficiently express their 
wonder and admiration, for a fine stone bridge 
arched boldly over the swift stream. 

On the opposite side stood the black-garbed 
stranger, grinning fiendishly and encouraging 
the people by word and gesture to test his 
bridge by walking across it. Just then the 
tailor appeared, carrying a large bag. He ad- 
vanced as if to cross first, but instead of setting 
foot upon the structure, deftly opened his bag, 
from which escaped rats and mice, closely fol- 
lowed by a few cats. 

The Devil, for it was he, gave a yell of rage 
when he saw himself thus outwitted, and, forget- 
ting the part he had played until then, cast off his 
disguise and ran down Goeschenen for a huge 
rock, which he intended to hurl at the bridge so 
as to wreck it entirely before any other living 
creature could cross. 

On his way back, however, Satan met a little 
old woman, who, frightened by his black looks, 
made a sign of the cross which caused him to 
drop his burden and beat a hasty retreat into 
his own realm. To this day, however, the 
people still point out the huge boulder in which 




THE devil's bridge. 



The Forest Cantons 237 



the marks of Satan's claws are still visible, and 
which is known as the Devil's Stone. 

According to another version, the Devil no 
sooner saw himself outwitted than he seized 
handfuls of rock which he hurled at the bridge. 
But these missiles were all deflected by a cross 
which the tailor planted in the middle of the 
structure as soon as the animals reached the other 
side. These big stones now lie scattered in the 
bed of the Reuss, and around the pillars of the 
bridge, where, to the Devil's constant chagrin, 
they only serve to strengthen his construction. 

To avenge himself in a slight measure, how- 
ever, the Evil One posted one of his own imps 
in this valley. When travellers pass, this de- 
mon pounces down upon them unseen, snatches 
their hats off their heads, and with a slight 
mocking whistle tosses them into the middle of 
the stream. This imp, known as the Hat Fiend, 
or Hut Schelm, still haunts the valley, although 
centuries have passed since the Devil played 
the part of engineer for the people of Uri. 



TESSIN 



A J U DGE of Bellinzona, known far and wide 
for his unswerving honesty, was wont to 
ride daily to Magadino to attend court there and 
mete out strict justice to all who appeared be- 
fore him. 

Although this was long years ago, when most 
judges openly accepted bribes, this particular 
magistrate could never be bought, and while the 
innocent loudly praised him, all wrong-doers 
hated him cordially. 

Confirmed thieves and habitual criminals were 
particularly angry at his mode of procedure ; so 
they finally decided it would be well to waylay 
the upright judge one dark night on his home- 
ward journey, and end his blameless career by a 
foul murder. 

Three young men therefore registered a sol- 
emn oath to kill the magistrate, and posting 
themselves in ambush behind the rocks by the 
roadside, they impatiently awaited the appear- 
ance of their victim. Toward midnight a clatter 
of hoofs v/as heard on the stony pathway, and 



Tessin 



239 



the lurking assassins, peering cautiously forth, 
beheld the judge galloping toward them, pre- 
ceded and followed by three armed horsemen. 
The three highwaymen, who had expected to 
see the judge alone or in company of one ser- 
vant only, feeling loath to attack a force so 
superior to their own, allowed the judge to pass 
by unmolested, and postponed their attempt until 
the morrow. Then, reinforced by six of their 
evil companions, they again lay in wait for the 
incorruptible magistrate. 

But instead of rushing out to attack him as 
soon as he drew near, they cowered low in 
fear, for their expected victim was escorted by 
a troop of twelve armed men, riding six before 
and six behind him. The crime was deferred 
by unanimous if tacit consent until the next day, 
when six more ruffians joined the murderers, to 
accomplish their wicked purpose without further 
delay. 

Again they waited and listened, and again 
their hearts beat fast at the sound of approach- 
ing horsemen ; but their hands dropped power- 
less to their sides on perceiving the judge ride 
rapidly past them with an escort of twenty-four 
men I 

Convinced that their plans had been revealed 
to the man they hated, the murderers now re- 



240 



Legends of Siiit;erUnd 



solved to follow him home, to discover which 
men formed his body-guard, and if possible to 
find the informer or at least secure the conni- 
vance of the horsemen by means of large bribes. 
They therefore noiselessly pursued the little 
cavalcade, and saw it come to a sudden halt in 
front of the judge's house. There the magis- 
trate slowly dismounted, gave the bridle of his 
weary steed to a waiting servant, and entered 
his house without saying a word or making a 
sign to the horsemen standing all around him. 

As the door slammed shut, the servant led 
the horse away to the stable, and the mounted 
escort suddenly vanished into thin air. Then 
only, the amazed highwaym.en became aware that 
the judge had been guarded by angelic spirits, 
detailed to watch over his safety, but of whose 
presence he was evidently not aware. This 
discoverv filled their hearts with such awe that 
they never again attem.pted to lay violent hands 
upon him ; but one of their number, overcome 
bv remorse, finally went to seek him, and con- 
fessing their evil intentions, humbly begged his 
pardon for the projected crime. 

The judge, who was as merciful as he was 
just, freely forgave this man : but. relying upon 
divine protection in case of need, he continued 
to mete out justice as before, and rode home 



Tessin 



241 



alone when his day's work was over. No harm 
ever befell him, and it is said that when his up- 
right career on earth was ended, the invisible 
body-guard escorted him to the great tribunal^ 
where the verdict awarded to him was : " Well 
done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou 
into the joy of thy Lord." 



16 



SCHAFFHAUSEN 



T N olden times, when the Alemans first in- 
vaded Switzerland, they practised the bloody 
rites of their religion at the Falls of the Rhine, 
near Schaffhausen, and sacrificed many white 
horses to the god of the Rhine. These steeds 
were driven into the water some distance above 
the cataract, and in spite of their frantic efforts 
were swept over the brink by the rapid current. 

Not long ago, horse-shoes could still be seen 
in the cracks of the rocks near the waterfall, and 
even now^ on moonlight nights or on misty days, 
the ghosts of these sacrificed steeds can still be 
seen, rearing and plunging in the vv-aters, and 
wildly tossing their snow-white manes. These 
wraiths are most clearly discerned during the 
night from Friday to Saturday, because it was 
then that they were offered up in sacrifice to the 
old heathen gods. 

A ghostly chariot, drawn by white oxen, was 
also seen formerly driving down the stream to 
Schaffhausen, where it v/ent thrice around the 
tov^'n. When this circuit took place from right 



Schaffhausen 



243 



to left, it was considered an infallible sign of 
good fortune ; but when it made the journey in an 
opposite direction, bad luck was sure to ensue. 

In olden times, when nothing but a convent 
and boat-landing stood on the present site of the 
city of Schaffhausen, a nobleman once came down 
to the river to fish. Weary of his exertions, he 
finally fastened his skiff, and lying down in the 
bottom of it, fell asleep. 

But while thus oblivious of all that was taking 
place, his vessel slipped its moorings, and drift- 
ing out into mid-current, was swept over the 
falls. The passenger was so sound asleep, how- 
ever, that he did not even rouse when hurled 
down into the thundering abyss, and was greatly 
amazed on awakening to find his boat had drifted 
ashore far below the dreaded cataract. 

In token of gratitude for this narrow escape, 
this nobleman is said to have founded the Bene- 
dictine abbey at Rheinau, on the very spot where 
his skiff drifted ashore after its perilous journey 
down the Rhine. ^ 

A YOUNG fisherman, who had a similar experi- 
ence, fatuously imagined that if his vessel went 

1 For other legends of Schaffhausen, etc., see the 
author's " Legends of the Rhine." 



244 Legends of Switzerland 



safely over the falls without being steered, it 
could not fail to do the same when guided by 
an experienced hand. He therefore loudly 
boasted that he was about to go over the cata- 
ract again, and in spite of all remonstrances on 
the part of friends and relatives, actually made 
the attempt. 

The skiff, however, was soon caught in the 
whirling waters, and in spite of all the fisher- 
man's efforts, dashed against the rocks. For 
one minute the horrified spectators saw the 
broken boat and clinging youth pause on the 
brink of the abyss, then they were swept over 
into the whirlpool, whence they never emerged ! 
Since then, on the anniversary of this foolhardy 
attempt, the ghost of the reckless youth can be 
seen drifting down the stream, and with a blood- 
curdling cry of despair it invariably plunges over 
into the vortex at the foot of the Rhine Falls. 

When noble knights still dwelt on the Randen- 
berg, a pious maiden set out from there before 
dawn every morning to walk to the convent of 
All Saints at SchafFhausen, where it was her cus- 
tom to attend early mass. 

Her sole escort on this daily walk was a faith- 
ful stag, which patiently awaited her coming at 
the castle gates every morning. When it was 



Schaffhausen 



245 



very dark, this faithful animal walked lightly 
ahead of her, proudly carrying a flaming torch 
between its branching antlers, and it always 
waited at the city gates to accompany her 
home. 

One day when the pious maiden and her at- 
tendant stag were nearing the city, they were 
suddenly attacked by wayside thieves. With a 
cry of terror, the maiden sped on as fast as her 
trembling limbs would carry her ; but when she 
came to the city gates she saw with terror that 
they were still shut. Knowing no human help 
could reach her in time to save her from the 
hands of the miscreants, she now had recourse 
to a short but fervent prayer, and the last 
words were scarcely uttered when an angel 
darted down from heaven, keys in hand, and 
led the maiden into the city, closing and lock- 
ing the gates in the very face of the cruel 
highwaymen. 

Ever since the pious maiden was thus miracu- 
lously saved by angelic intervention, that gate 
of Schaffhausen has been known as the Engel- 
brechtsthor, or the gate broken open by an 
angel. 

Where the recently restored castle of Munot 
now stands, there was once an older building 



246 Legends of Switzerland 



occupied by a noble lord, who set out for a pil- 
grimage to the Holy Land, leaving wife and 
children safe at home. 

Those were the days of slow travel and no 
mail ; so months became years without the Lady 
of Munot's receiving any tidings of her absent 
spouse. She therefore began to fear that he was 
dead, or that he had entirely forgotten wife and 
children at home. But such was not the case, 
for the knight, having surmounted many perils, 
was now very near home, and spurring on with 
all haste, in spite of the darkness, to see his fam- 
ily sooner. 

Only a short stretch of wood, and the torrent of 
the Miihlenthal lay between him and his castle ; 
but although the knight fancied he knew every 
inch of the ground, he soon lost his way. In- 
stead of crossing the swollen stream at the usual 
place, he plunged into its waters at the most 
dangerous point, only to find a watery grave 
within sight and sound of home. One of his 
faithful retainers, however, managed to escape 
from the torrent, and sadly bore the sorrowful 
tidings to the poor widow. 

When the Lady of Munot learned how her 
spouse had perished, she put on mourning which 
she never laid aside, and to prevent other belated 
travellers from meeting a similar fate, hung a sil- 



Schaffhausen 



247 



ver bell in the castle tower and had it rung for 
an hour every night. 

The mournful toll of this little bell at nightfall 
not only served to guide travellers safely through 
the forest, and keep the knight's memory green, 
but also reminded his former vassals to say a 
prayer for the rest of their dead master's soul. 



LEGENDS OF ZURICH. 



yURICH, the old Roman Turicum, on either 
^ side of the Limmat at the point where it 
flows out of the green-hued lake, is the capital 
of the canton of the same name, and noted alike 
for the beauty of its situation and for its famous 
University. 

In the days of the early Christian persecution, 
Felix and Regula, the patron saints of Zurich, 
were beheaded near this town. Strange to relate, 
though, immediately after the execution, both 
martyrs picked up their severed heads, tucked 
them under their arms, and stalked off to the spot 
where the minster now stands, where they wound 
up their marvellous performances by burying 
themselves comfortably I On the spot where 
they suffered martyrdom Charlemagne erected a 
memorial pillar, above which he hung a bell, say- 
ing that it could be rung by any one who had 
been wronged, and that they should receive im- 
mediate justice. 

During one of his visits to Zurich, Charle- 
magne took up his abode in the Choristers' 



Legends of Zurich 249 

House^ and while he sat there at table one day 
he suddenly heard a loud peal from the bell of 
justice. He immediately despatched a servant 
to see what wrong had been done, and was 
greatly annoyed when the man reported that 
careful search had failed to reveal the presence 
of any living creature. A few moments later the 
bell rang again, but when the servant once more 
announced that no one was there, the emperor 
bade his guards hide near the pillar, and seize 
the miscreant who dared to pull the bell of jus- 
tice in mere fun. 

Before long the bell sounded a third time, and 
a few moments later the guards rushed into the 
emperor's presence with faces blanched with 
fear, to report that a snake had coiled itself 
around the pillar, and seizing the rope in its 
teeth^ tugged until the bell rang forth loud and 
clear. The emperor immediately rose from table, 
saying he must see this phenomenon with his 
own eyes, and followed by all his court went 
down to the pillar. As he drew near, the snake 
came forward to meet him, and rising upon its 
coiled tail, bowed low before the monarch in evi- 
dent recognition of his exalted station. Then, 
dropping down to the earth once more, it crept 
away, turning from time to time, and making 
signs as if to invite the emperor to follow. The 



250 



Legends of Switzerland 



serpent's actions were so eloquent that Charle- 
magne, understanding them, obediently followed 
it down to the edge of the water, where, parting 
the reeds, the snake showed him its nest, in 
which sat an enormous toad. 

Charlemagne now bade his guards seize and 
kill the intruder, and when the snake had bowed 
its thanks and contentedly coiled itself around 
its eggs, he went back to his interrupted meal, 
loudly praising the bell by means of which even 
dumb animals could appeal for justice. 

The next day, while the emperor again sat at 
dinner, the guards rushed in breathlessly to an- 
nounce the coming of the strange snake. Charle- 
magne quickly bade them stand aside and not 
try to hinder the reptile, which now crawled into 
the room where he sat, climbed upon the table, 
did obeisance to the emperor, and delicately lift- 
ing the cover of his drinking-cup, dropped into it 
a jewel of fabulous price. Then, replacing the 
cover of the vessel, the snake bowed low again, 
and creeping down, left the cloister to return to 
its nest by the lake. 

According to one version of this legend, 
Charlemagne set this precious stone in a ring 
which he gave to his wife, Frastrada.-^ Un- 

1 For other version, see the author's " Legends of the 
Rhine.'' 



CHARLEMAGNE AND THE SERPENT. 



Legends of Zurich 



known to him, however, the stone had the magic 
power of fixing his affections upon its wearer. 
When the queen, therefore, thought she was 
about to die, she slipped the ring into her mouth 
to prevent its falling into the hands of some rival. 
For eighteen years Charlemagne refused to part 
with his wife's body, and carried it with him 
wherever he went. But at the end of that time 
his minister Turpin discovered the secret of his 
infatuation, and obtaining possession of the magic 
stone, soon saw all Charlemagne's affections 
fixed upon him. 

As the emperor's devotion proved somewhat 
of a bore to the old minister, he tried to get rid 
of the spell by casting the ring into the mineral 
springs at Aix-la-Chapelle. While out hunting 
the next day, Charlemagne urged his steed to 
drink of that water, and when the animal hastily 
withdrew its foot and refused to approach the 
pool again, the emperor dismounted to investi- 
gate the cause. 

Touching the imprint of the horse's hoof, 
Charlemagne discovered that the mud was very 
warm, for he was near the hottest of these thermal 
springs. While resting near that pool, he was 
seized with such an affection for the spot that he 
soon founded there his capital of Aix-la-Chapelle. 

In memory of the horse which guided him 



252 Legends of Switzerland 

hither, the Cathedral was built in the shape of 
a horseshoe, and as Charlemagne could not en- 
dure the thought of ever leaving this enchanted 
neighbourhood, he left orders to bury him in 
the minster of Aix-la-Chapelle. 

On the spot v/here Charlemagne's famous bell 
once hung, at Zurich, stands the Wasserkirche, 
which now contains a large library with valu- 
able and interesting manuscripts. Charlemagne's 
great-grandson Louis II. often visited Zurich, 
where his two pious daughters induced him to 
build a convent and the Frauenmiinster. 

It is said that the place for these buildings was 
staked out by angel hands, and that the stakes 
were connected by a silken string of the finest 
make. This rope was hung above the altar of the 
new church, where it remained until the Refor- 
mation. It was then removed with many other 
relics, and served for years as ordinary bell-rope 
in a private house. 

The king's daughters, who both became ab- 
besses, long dwelt at Baldern Castle, whence, 
however, they went down to the Frauenmun- 
ster whenever the bell rang for prayers. They 
even attended the midnight services there, and 
when it was very dark a stately stag invariably 
walked before them carrying a flaming torch 
between its antlers. 



Legends of Zurich 



253 



At the foot of the southern slope of the Albis 
— a green mountain near Zurich — lies the little 
lake of Tiirl or the Tiirlersee. Tradition claims 
that this valley once belonged to the lords of 
Schnabelberg, whose castle stood on the height 
still bearing that name. They intrusted the 
care of their lands to an unprincipled steward 
who once induced a miser to sell his daughter 
for a piece of rich land down in the valley. 
This iniquitous bargain had no sooner been 
concluded than the inhuman father hastened 
down to view his new farm ; but while he was 
inspecting it, a fearful storm arose. Thunder- 
bolts, repeatedly striking the mountain, detached 
great masses of stone, which, in falling, made a 
dam across the valley. 

In a few moments the rain, pouring down the 
mountain side in swift torrents, filled all the 
hollow made by this dam, covering every inch 
of land the miser had received in exchange for 
his child. Terrified by this visitation from 
Heaven, the unjust steward not only let the 
maiden go unharmed, but paid a rich dower to 
the convent she entered, and mended his evil 
ways as much as he could. 

Near the Lake of Tiirl once lived a lady 
named Kriemhild, who was jealous because her 



254 Legends of Switzerland 



neighbours' lands were more productive than her 
own. In hopes of ruining their crops, she bade 
a Salamancan student flood their fields. The 
latter, scorning magic arts for so simple a task, 
dug a deep ditch, which, allowing the waters of 
the lake to escape, would accomplish his evil 
purpose just as well. 

St. Verena, passing by there accidentally, dis- 
covered his purpose, and before he could com- 
plete his task whisked him and Kriemhild off to 
the Glarnisch in Glarus, where both are con- 
demned to dig in the ice and snow until they 
have made plants bloom in the desolate spot 
still known as St, Verena's or Vreneli's garden. 
As for the ditch it is still to be seen, and in 
memory of Kriemhild's evil intentions it still 
bears her name. 

Only a short railway journey from Zurich is 
the ancient.castle of Kyburg, which rises between 
Winterthur and Frauenfeld. It once belonged 
to a family of the same name, a side branch of 
the famous house of Welfs or Guelfs. To 
account for this name, tradition relates that a 
Kyburg having married Irmentrude, Charle- 
magne's sister-in-law, went to live with her in a 
castle near Altorf. 

One day, a poor woman came to this castle 



Legends of Zurich 



255 



begging for food, and sadly yet proudly exhib- 
ited triplets, whose recent arrival into the world 
prevented her working as usual for her living. 
The Countess of Kyburg, seeing these children, 
sternly refused all help to the woman, declaring 
no faithful wife had ever been known to bear so 
many children at once, and that she would not 
encourage vice in her lands by giving alms to 
women of bad lives. 

The virtuous peasant woman, justly offended at 
this harsh speech, turned angrily away. But she 
paused a moment at the gate, to call Heaven to 
prove that she had always been true to her mar- 
riage vows by giving the Countess twelve chil- 
dren at a birth. The Countess paid little heed to 
this curse^ but many months later she was ter- 
rified by the simultaneous arrival of twelve sons, 
all exactly alike, and all unmistakable Kyburgs. 

Now it happened that her husband was away 
when these babes came into the world, and the 
Countess, fearing he might take the same view 
of the affair as she had taken of the poor 
woman's triplets, bade her faithful old nurse 
drown eleven of the babes in a neighbouring 
pond. The nurse, for whom the Countess of 
Kyburg's words were law, immediately bundled 
eleven of the boys into her apron, and stealing 
out of the castle by a postern gate, made her 



256 Legends of Switzerland 



way towards the pool. She had nearly reached 
it when she was suddenly confronted by her 
master just returning home, and he immediately 
inquired what she had in her apron, and what 
she was going to do. 

The poor woman, hoping to shield her mistress, 
stammered that she was on her way to drown a 
litter of wolf cubs ; then she tried to slip past him, 
but he insisted on seeing the cubs, and when 
she resisted, laid violent hands upon the apron 
she held so tightly together. A mere glimpse 
of its contents made him hotly demand a full ex- 
planation, and when posted about every detail 
of the affair, he bound the nurse over to secrecy, 
took charge of the boys, and had them carefully 
brought up, unknown to his wife, who fancied 
they were all dead. 

For six years the Count of Kyburg kept this 
secret, but at the end of that time he gave a 
great banquet, to which he invited all his relatives 
and friends. In the middle of this meal, the 
eleven boys, richly dressed, were shown into 
the hall by his order. The guests all stared in 
amazement at these children, who were so ex- 
actly like one another, and like the supposedly 
only son of their host, that no one could doubt 
their parentage. 

While they were still speechless, the Count 



Legends of Zurich 



257 



of Kyburg suddenly inquired, in terrible tones, 
what punishment should be awarded to the 
person who had tried to murder eleven such 
promising young Welfs (Wolves) ? At these 
Vords the guilty Countess suddenly fainted, 
and the guests were informed of the part she had 
played. When she recovered her senses, her 
husband generously forgave her, but the children 
he had rescued were known ever after by the 
name their father gave them when he first intro- 
duced them to his friends. 

King Louis II. of France is said to have 
promised one of the Welfs as much land as he 
could ride around in a golden wagon in one day. 
This Welf immediately decided to secure the 
boon by a subterfuge, since he could not get it 
otherwise. 

By his orders, a tiny golden wagon was made, 
and sitting upon this toy, placed in a wagon to 
which were harnessed his quickest pacing oxen, 
he rode around a tract of land on either side of 
the Rhine, which included the site of Kyburg 
Castle. Thus he won the Kyburg estate where 
his three sons were born. In due time two of 
these became bishops, equally renowned for their 
learning and great piety. 

One of them, in serving Mass at Easter, saw 
17 



258 Legends of Switzerland 



a huge poisonous spider fall into the chalice. 
Loath to disturb the communion service, he 
swallowed the spider with the wine, and after 
Mass sat down to table, where, however, he 
refused to partake of any food. Exhausted by 
a long spell of fasting, he soon fell asleep, and 
his drowsy head rested on the table, while his 
breath passed softly between his parted lips. 
His friends, watching him, suddenly saw the 
spider — an emissary of Satan — creep out of 
his mouth and slink away, having been unable 
to injure so good a man. 

The two bishops once sat in the castle, before 
a well-spread board, on the eve of a solemn fast- 
day. Although food and wine lay in plenty 
before them, they partook of them but sparingly, 
and were so absorbed in pious conversation 
that they remained there hour after hour, quite 
unmindful of the flight of time. The castle 
clock had just pealed forth the midnight hour, 
and the solemn fast had begun, when their sec- 
retary stepped into the hall to inquire whether 
they still had need of his services. This man, 
envious of their reputation, had long been 
jealous of them, and anxious to catch them 
tripping so he could publish the fact abroad. 
When he therefore beheld them seated before a 
huge roast of boar's flesh, with several bottles full 



Legends of Zurich 



259 



of wine still before them, his eyes flashed with 
malicious pleasure. A moment later, however, 
he stood with lowered eyes and in subservient 
attitude before his superiors, who bade him go 
to rest, and, in the kindness of their hearts, 
gave him a big portion of meat and a bottle of 
wine to carry away with him. 

The secretary meekly thanked the bishops, 
and took leave of them with apparent humility ; 
but no sooner had he closed the door behind 
him, than he rushed off to a neighbouring con- 
vent, his heart dancing with fiendish glee. 
Rousing the brethren, he told them, with every 
mark of sanctimonious regret, that their shep- 
herds were faithless, for they were even now, 
on a solemn fast-day, partaking of forbidden 
meat and drink I 

He added that when they found themselves 
detected in this wrong-doing, they tried to 
silence him by giving him a portion of their 
viands, thus making him a partaker in their 
sin. In proof of this assertion, he produced 
the food they had given him, and the monks all 
crowded around, with long-drawn faces, to see 
and smell these evidences of their superiors' 
guilt. 

To the secretary's surprise, however, they 
soon turned indignantly upon him, declaring 



2 6o Legends of Switzerland 

that the so-called boar's flesh was the fish sensed 
on the monastery table every fast-day ; and the 
rich wine nothing but the small beer which in- 
variably accompanied it. The secretary pro- 
tested wrathfully, but when he, too^ examined 
those articles carefully, he was forced to acknowl- 
edge the monks right, and to confess that Provi- 
dence had worked a miracle to prevent two 
absent-minded saints from inadvertently com- 
mitting a grievous sin. 



LEGENDS OF ZUG 



HE Lake of Zug, the home of prehistoric 



lake-builders, is beautifully situated at the 
foot of the Rigi, and separated from the Lake 
of Lucerne by a narrow strip of land. At one 
end of this small sheet of water is the city of 
Zug, the capital of the canton of the same 
name, and at the other extremity, the pretty 
city of Arth, at the foot of the Rossberg. 

This mountain is famous for its landslides, 
which have cost many lives and buried whole 
villages at its foot. The legend ascribes these 
cataclysms to the hard-heartedness of the peo- 
ple, who incurred the anger of the dwarfs by 
refusing them hospitality, as was the case at 
Roll on the Lake of Thun. The city of Zug 
has twice been undermined by the lake. The 
first time, in 143^, two whole streets sank 
down into the water; but while science attrib- 
utes such accidents to perfectly natural causes, 
legend tries to account for them in a more 
poetic way. 

In the centre of the lake, far down below the 
surface of the water, nixies and water-nymphs 




262 Legends of Switzerland 

are supposed to dwell in a marvellous palace all 
hung with gleaming crystal stalactites, paved 
with silver and gold, and brightly lighted by 
the sparkle of precious stones encrusting its 
walls. The dainty inhabitants of this sub- 
aqueous palace seldom rise to the surface of 
the lake, except at night, when they are seen 
in the moonlight, dancing here and there over 
the waves, floating gently ashore, or hovering 
along grassy banks, where they love to spread 
out their mist like veils. 

These nymphs occasionally appear at village 
dances, where they can be distinguished from 
mortal maidens by their superior beauty, and 
by the ever wet hem of their long white gowns. 
One of these nymphs fell violently in love with 
the handsome young son of a magistrate of Zug, 
and besides meeting him at dances on the green, 
held nightly trysts with him on the edge of the 
lake. 

The youth was deeply enamoured with the 
dainty nymph, and when she rose out of the 
waves one evening with reddened eyelids, he 
insisted upon knowing the cause of her grief. 
The sprite now told him that her father, hav- 
ing discovered her infatuation for a mere mortal, 
had forbidden her to have any further inter- 
course with him, unless he were willing to 



Legends of Zug 



263 



follow her down into her father's abode and live 
with her there in happy wedlock. The young 
man, on hearing this, vowed he would be only 
too happy were such a course possible to him, 
but gently explained that the element in which 
she lived was not adapted to human lungs. The 
nymph, however, declared such an obstacle could 
easily be removed, and immediately proffered 
a magic draught, which would enable him to 
breathe in the water as easily as in the air. The 
enamoured youth quickly seized the cup she 
tendered, and after quaffing the crystal clear, 
tasteless fluid it contained, sank with her down 
into the depths of the lake. 

Delighted with his new powers, and with the 
wonders he saw on all sides, the youth was 
very happy for a while, but homesickness finally 
seized him in the crystal palace. When the 
nymph tenderly inquired what was the matter, 
he sadly confessed that he longed to see his 
parents and friends once more, and that he 
would never be entirely happy unless he could 
attend divine service regularly in his parish 
church. 

At these words the nymph's sweet face dark- 
ened, but it was soon illumined again by a 
brilliant idea which she vowed she would put 
into immediate execution. That evening, for 



264 Legends of Switzerland 

the first time, she left her beloved, and stealing 
into the sleeping city, replaced all the drinking 
water in the houses of two streets by the same 
magic fluid she had given to the youth. Then, 
plunging into the lake again, she called all her 
father's minions to her aid, and gently and 
noiselessly undermined those houses. When 
the people were sound asleep the next night, she 
drew them softly down to the bottom of the lake. 

On awakening in this new element, on the 
morrow, they found all. their surroundings un- 
changed, and took up their life where they had 
left it off when they went to sleep the night 
before. The youth could now hold constant 
intercourse with his former neighbours and 
friends, attend service whenever he pleased, 
and he and all the others are still as happy as 
the day is long, for the magic draught has 
endowed them with the immortality which all 
water spirits enjoy. 

When the waters are very clear, you can still 
see the spire of the sunken church and the 
gables of the old houses, and people gifted with 
particularly keen eyes and lively imaginations 
can detect the stir of busy life in the streets, 
catch the sound of ringing bells, and the deep 
solemn tones of an organ, gently accompanying 
the chants of the sunken congregation. 



Legends of Zug 265 

On the spot where the boundaries of Zurich, 
Zug, and Schwyz converge, stands the Hohe 
Rhonen, the goal of charming excursions ; for 
from the top of this mountain one can enjoy a 
fine view of the lake, the Sentis, and the Tog- 
genburg and Glarus mountains. 

Part of the Hohe Rhonen consists of fine 
pastures, and a legend claims that a miser once 
tried to cheat a widow and several orphans out 
of their portion of this soil. To establish his 
claim to the pastures, the wicked man not only 
resorted to forgery, but as the judge still seemed 
doubtful of the justice of his claims, boldly 
volunteered to swear on the spot itself that it 
was rightfully his. The judge accepted this 
olfer, and accompanied by plaintiff, defendant, 
and several witnesses, wended his way up the 
mountain to the disputed alp. Standing on a 
huge granite boulder which lay there, the miser 
took his oath, holding up three fingers as usual, 
and when the judge cried, *^Woe upon thee, if 
thou swearest falsely ! " boldly added, " If I 
have committed perjury, may these fingers sink 
into this hard stone as easily as into water ! " 

Saying these words, he thrust his fingers 
downward, and to his horror and dismay felt 
them sink into the stone up to the second joint I 
But although they entered so easily, he could 



266 Legends of Switzerland 

not draw them out again, and standing there, 
a convicted perjurer, had to confess his sin. 
He had scarcely ceased speaking, when he was 
hidden from sight by a dark cloud, a terrible 
cry was heard, and when the rock again became 
visible to the amazed spectators, the man had 
disappeared, carried off to Hades by the Devil. 
But the stone, with the imprint of his perjured 
digits, is still known as the Three Finger Stone, 
and remains there as a constant warning against 
falsehood and treachery. 

Not very far from the Hohe Rhonen, but in 
the canton of Schwyz, stands the church of Ein- 
siedlen, a famous place of pilgrimage ever since 
the ninth century. The legend claims that the 
spot is particularly holy because Our Lord once 
drank from the fountain with fourteen mouths, 
while journeying through the country to preach 
the gospel. 

Besides, Meinrad, Count of Sulgen, having 
vowed to spend the rest of his life in prayer, 
came to this lovely valley long years ago. Here 
he built a little chapel to contain a wonder- 
working image of the Virgin, which he had re- 
ceived from one of the princess-abbesses of 
Zurich. Meinrad also built a small hut close 
by this chapel, and as this was generally called 



Legends of Zug 



267 



his hermitage (Einsiedelei), its name was given 
to the town which has since arisen on that spot. 

Meinrad was known far and wide for his 
piety as well as for his charity, and all the gifts 
he received from strangers were immediately 
lavished upon the poor. Years were spent by 
the hermit in penance, prayer, and works of 
mercy, and when very old, the death angel sud- 
denly appeared to him one day in the chapel, to 
announce that his end was near. 

Meinrad, who had longed for Heaven for 
many a year, received this warning with solemn 
joy, and after returning thanks went out of the 
chapel, to feast his eyes once more upon the 
lovely landscape. While he sat near his hermit- 
age, two tame ravens which he had brought up 
came to nestle in his lap, and he gently stroked 
them with his aged and trembling hands. While 
he sat there quietly, two robbers suddenly 
sprang out of the thicket, and exclaiming that they 
had come for the treasures accumulated during 
all these years, drove their daggers deep into 
his heart. 

The old man fell to the ground lifeless, the 
ravens flew croaking away, and the thieves, pick- 
ing up the corpse, threw it into the chapel, so 
as not to have it continually under their eyes 
while they made their search. With feverish 



268 



Legends of Switzerland 



haste they next turned over every article in the 
little hermitage, ripped open the straw pallet, 
peered into the depths of the one crock, and 
dug up the floor ; but to their chagrin no treas- 
ure w^as forthcoming. Thinking the holy man 
might have concealed his w^ealth in the chapel, 
they now betook themselves thither ; but no 
sooner had they crossed the threshold than they 
paused aghast, feeling their hair slowly rise up 
on end. 

The chapel, which had been so dark a while 
ago, was now illumined by lights burning on the 
altar ; the corpse was carefully laid out at its 
base, with tapers burning all around it, and close 
by stood the two crows, mounting solemn guard 
over their dead master. But when the mur- 
derers, recovering a little from their first surprise 
and terror, ventured to take a step forward, 
these faithful birds forsook their post, and so 
furiously attacked the intruders with beak and 
claws that they soon drove them out of the 
chapel. 

Terrified by this attack, the robbers fled over 
the mountains to Zurich, and did not feel quite 
safe until seated in a little inn where they were 
wont to linger for hours. They were drinking 
hard, hoping to forget their recent uncanny expe- 
riences, when in through the open window sud- 



Legends of Zug 



269 



denly flew two ravens which circled wildly around 
their heads, croaking loudly and threatening 
to pick out their eyes. The criminals, with a 
common impulse, ducked their heads, and groan- 
ing aloud, exclaimed : " Meinrad's watchers I 
Meinrad's watchers 1 " 

These words, and the mysterious behaviour 
of the birds, which could not be driven away for 
some time, so aroused the suspicions of the city 
magistrates, that they sent both men to prison 
until they could ascertain whether Meinrad 
were still safe. That same evening, however, 
a traveller reported the murder of the hermit, 
whom he had found dead in the chapel, and 
when the judges summoned the prisoners they 
had to confess their crime. In punishment for 
slaying a hermit whom all revered like a saint, 
the murderers were first broken on the wheel 
and then burned at the stake. 

A monastery was soon erected on the site of 
Meinrad's hermitage ; and since then a beautiful 
church, a fine abbey, and many inns and hotels 
have been built for the accommodation and edi- 
fication of tourists and pilgrims who visit Ein- 
siedlen in great numbers. 



THURGAU 



HE canton of Thurgau, bordering on the 



Lake of Constance, is less frequently 
visited by tourists than almost any other, be- 
cause it consists principally of arable land and 
thriving manufacturing towns. It is not, how- 
ever, without romantic interest ; but most of its 
legends are only slight variations of those already 
mentioned in connection with other places. 

In the days of Charlemagne a Thurgau giant 
named Kisher joined the imperial forces, and 
went with them to fight against the Huns and 
Avars. Such was the size and strength of this 
warrior that he waded across every river, how- 
ever deep, and when his horse hesitated to follow 
him, dragged it after him by its tail, crying, 
*' Comrade, you must come along too I " 

In presence of the enemy this mighty giant 
remained unmoved, and placing himself at the 
head of the army, mowed down the foe as 
calmly and steadily as if he were cutting hay in 
his native country. The battle over, Kisher 
strung seven or eight of his victims on his lance, 




Thurgau 271 



and flinging it across his shoulder, tramped home 
as coolly as if returning from a day's hunt with 
his game. Such were his prowesses that Char- 
lemagne declared that, as he was a host in him- 
self, his name should be changed from Kisher to 
Einheer, which means an army. 

In going from Romanshorn to Constance, one 
passes the village of Giittingen with its old 
castle. The lords of this place, equally noted 
for their wealth and avarice, had several other 
castles, one of which stood so near the lake 
that the waves constantly dashed against its 
walls. 

Once, when there was a great famine in the 
land, the starving people, knowing their lords 
had great quantities of food stored away in their 
granaries, surrounded the castle and began to 
clamour loudly for grain. The lords of Giit- 
tingen, who were living on the fat of the land 
themselves, would not give anything to the poor, 
and, weary of their importunate cries, deter- 
mined to get rid of them once for all. 

They therefore bade their hungry vassals as- 
semble in an empty old barn, where they assured 
them their pangs would soon be stilled. The 
people, thinking their masters were about to 
distribute food, thronged into this place ; but 



272 Legends of Switzerland 



when it was full, almost to overflowing, the 
cruel lords of Giittingen bade their servants 
close the doors and set fire to the building. 
When the bright flames rose all around them, 
the poor victims loudly begged for mercy ; yet 
although their pitiful cries would have touched 
any one else, the lords of Giittingen quietly sat 
there on their steeds, and laughed aloud when 
one of them sarcastically cried, " Just hear those 
mice squeak I " 

Before long the roof fell in and the clamours 
ceased ; but from the smoking ruins suddenly 
came hosts of mice, which, running straight to 
the Giittingen castles, devoured everything 
they could find. The lords themselves, terri- 
fied at the sight of these pests, fled to their 
Wasserburg, or Castle in the Water. But the 
mice pursued them there too, and having dis- 
posed of everything else, pounced upon them. 
In a few moments heaps of clean picked bones 
were all that was left of these heartless lords, 
whose castle shortly afterwards sank into the 
lake. There its ruins can be seen when the 
water is very low, and some people claim you 
can still hear mice gnawing the bones of those 
cruel men if you listen very attentively.-^ 

1 For similar legends of Bingen and others of this 
section, see the author's "Legends of the Rhine." 



Thurgau 



273 



A Count of Seeheim eloped with a maiden of 
Kyburg because her father objected to their 
union. The lovers, dreading the Count of Ky- 
burg's wrath, placed themselves immediately 
under the protection of the Abbot of Reichenau, 
who promised to aid and watch over them, and 
pronounced their nuptial benediction. 

The bride, having a fortune of her own, 
soon built a castle near the boundary of her 
father's land, carefully providing it with strong 
walls so that he could not molest her or her be- 
loved spouse. For some time after the two 
families lived on a war footing, but in course of 
time a complete reconciliation took place. 

In memory of this feud and of its happy ter- 
mination, the town which rose around the new 
castle received the name of Frauenfeld, and the 
coat of arms of that city still bears the effigy of 
the faithful woman. She is represented con- 
trolling a lion, which fierce animal is intended 
to represent the race from which she sprang, 
and whose wrath she successfully defied and 
subdued. 



18 



ST. GALL AND APPENZELL 



T. GALL, capital of the canton of the same 



^ name, which entirely surrounds that of 
Appenzell, is noted for the famous abbey founded 
in 614 by St. Gallus, an Irish monk. He had 
come into this unsettled region to preach the 
gospel, and when his disciple Hiltiboldus urged 
that they would be exposed to the attacks of the 
bears, wolves, and boars, quietly answered, 
" If God is with us, who can be against us > " 

The snakes which had infested that region 
departed for good and all at the saint's command, 
and his disciple soon discovered that even the 
wild beasts of the forest stood in awe of so holy 
a man. One evening, while Gallus was praying 
at the foot of a rustic cross, a bear came down 
the mountain to devour his provisions. St. Gal- 
lus, perceiving the theft, quietly bade the bear 
earn the food he had eaten, by bringing wood 
to keep up his fire. The crestfallen Bruin 
humbly fulfilled this penance, and when the saint 
told him henceforth to remain on the heights, 
never ventured down into the valley again. 




St. Gall and Appen^ell 275 



One day Callus's disciple discovered an apple- 
tree far up the mountain, and climbing up shook 
down some fruit to carry home to his master. 
But when he slid to the ground again, he was 
dismayed to find a huge bear on the other side 
of the tree greedily munching the fallen apples. 
The disciple's first impulse was to flee, but re- 
membering that his master was fond of fruit, he 
determined to secure some for him. Taking his 
staff, therefore, he scratched deep marks at right 
angles with the tree, and then gravely informed 
the bear that while he was welcome to the apples 
on his side of the line, those which fell on the 
other were reserved for St. Gallus. Strange to 
relate, the bear understood this speech, and as 
long as the apples lasted never ventured to touch 
one on the saint's side of the line, although he 
devoured all those on his own ! 

The cell and cross of St. Gallus were the 
nucleus of a monastery and school, which for 
several centuries had no rival in Europe. Kings 
and emperors were wont to visit it, and the 
abbey, enriched by their gifts and concessions, 
daily increased in importance and wealth. 

Within the walls of this edifice dwelt men 
noted for their learning, and countless scribes 
spent their lives there, patiently copying and 
illuminating manuscripts which, but for their 



276 Legends of Swit:{erland 

efforts, might have been lost to mankind. Some 
of these manuscripts still remain in the abbey 
library ; among others, a thirteenth century 
copy of the Niebelungenlied, Germany's famous 
epic. Innumerable scholars visited the school 
and abbey at St. Gall, v\rhich is said to have 
been the scene of a comical encounter between 
the abbot and Charlemagne, almost an exact 
counterpart of the story of King John and the 
Archbishop of Canterbury.^ 
The old monastery life so ably depicted in 
Ekkehard," by Von Scheffel, with its descrip- 
tions of the herdsmen and hermit on the Sentis, 
have surrounded that region with a halo of ro- 
mance for all who have enjoyed the perusal of 
the book. 

The Sentis, with its cap of snow, is the high- 
est mountain in Appenzell, and the goal for 
travellers who wish to make a whey cure or to 
enjoy an excursion to its summit. From the 
top of this mountain the view embraces the Lake 
of Constance, southern Germany, the Tyrolean 
Mountains, and the Alps in Glarus and Bern. 
All the way up are various pastures with their 
low chalets, where butter and cheese are con- 
stantly made and carried down the steep paths 

1 See the author's Legends of the Rhine." 



St. Gall and Appen^ell 277 

for consumption in the valleys. The Sentis, 
like all other mountains where cattle go to pas- 
ture, is supposed to be haunted by mountain- 
folk, who, when well treated, are always helpful 
to mortals. 

The Devil, too, plays his part in the Sentis 
legends, for one of them claims that a lazy herds- 
man once called upon him to take his cattle, so 
that he need no longer run after them when they 
strayed into dangerous places. The words were 
no sooner uttered than a hurricane swept down 
the mountain, and the terrified peasant saw 
Satan, riding on the wind, drive his cows over 
the edge of the abyss. In sudden repentance 
he made a sign of the cross, fell on his knees, 
and cried that he had sinned grievously. At 
those words the wind ceased, the Devil van- 
ished; but ever since then the pasture, which had 
been known as the Glucksalp, or Lucky Alp, 
has been called Im Fehlen, or In Sin. 

Another legend claims that the Devil once 
came striding across northern Switzerland with a 
huge bag slung over his shoulder. In this sack 
he had packed away a large number of houses, 
together with their inhabitants, and was carrying 
them away with the intention of removing them 
for ever from Swiss soil. While taking a leap 



278 Legends of Switzerland 



over the Sentis, however, he burst a hole in his 
bag, and the houses all tumbled down in Appen- 
zell, where they still stand in irregular groups, 
just as they fell. 

The same story which is told of the Alphorn 
at Meiringen is also told of the heights near the 
much frequented baths of Ragatz, in the south- 
ern part of the canton of St. Gall. Not very 
far from this resort, and on the same wild stream, 
the Tamina, are the no less noted baths of 
Pfafers, and farther up the gorge an ancient 
abbey of the same name, to which legend as- 
cribes the following origin : — 

In the beginning of the eighth century St. 
Pirminius and his disciple Adalbert preached 
the gospel in the eastern part of Switzerland. 
Their efforts were rewarded with such success 
that they determined to build a chapel and 
monastery in this part of the country. Wishing 
to secure the Pope's consent and blessing for 
this undertaking, Pirminius set out for Rome, 
bidding Adalbert in the meantime select a suit- 
able site and begin clearing ground. 

After much search Adalbert decided upon a 
lovely sheltered valley, where the sun shone 
brightly, where grass and fruit-trees were abun- 
dant, and where limpid waters flowed gently 



St, Gall and Appen^ell 279 



through meadows and forests. He and his con- 
verts now began felling trees, but while doing 
so Adalbert's axe suddenly slipped, inflicting a 
deep wound in his sandalled foot. The blood 
gushed forth, staining the chips around, and 
while all were trying to check its flow, a 
white dove suddenly alighted near them, and 
catching up a gory chip, flew off to a neigh- 
bouring tree. At the same moment Adalbert's 
blood stopped running, the wound closed, and 
in a moment he felt no more pain. 

This miraculous cure seemed to all connected 
in some way with the dove ; so when the bird 
flew slowly away with the chip, Adalbert deter- 
mined to follow it. Flitting from tree to tree 
and from rock to rock, the dove entered the cold 
and dark Tamina gorge, and penetrating ever 
farther, finally perched on a sombre pine, and 
dropped the bloody chip at its foot. Returning 
to his companions, Adalbert now told them he 
must await Pirminius' return, and relate these 
marvels to him so that he might interpret them 
if he could. 

When the saint came back from Rome and 
learned what had happened, he immediately cried 
that Providence had sent them a sign, wishing 
them to build a church and abbey on the spot 
where the dove had dropped the bloody chip. 



2 8o Legends of Switzerland 

He added that such a wild, desolate region was 
more fitted to encourage a life of constant pen- 
ance, labour, and prayer than the valley flowing 
with milk and honey first chosen by Adalbert. 
By his orders the Abbey of Pfafers was begun, 
and to this day its seal bears a white dove carry- 
ing a bloody chip in its beak, in memory of the 
miracle to which it owes its location. 



GLARUS AND GRISONS. 



IVTEAR the city of Chur or Coire, and at the 
■^^ foot of the majestic Calanda, are the ruins 
of several castles, among others that of Halden- 
stein. Not very far from its crumbling walls is 
a fine spring of clear v^ater, v^^here people claim a 
charming vision was often seen. Dressed in a 
long white gown which fell in classic folds to her 
feet, this lovely maiden was wont to linger on 
the sunniest spot by the edge of the spring, dab- 
bling her hands in its cool waters. A hunter once 
came to this place, saw the beautiful maiden, 
and heard her weeping softly. He immediately 
drew near and looked at her so compassionately 
that she told him if he would only hold her hand 
and not let it go until she bade him, he would 
release her from the baleful spell which caused 
her tears. 

The young man unhesitatingly took her slen- 
der white hand between his own sunburned 
palms, but started at finding it as cold as ice. 
While he held it tight, trying to communicate a 
little of his own warmth to the chilled fingers, 



282 



Legends of Switzerland 



a tiny old man came out of the castle and silently 
offered him a diamond basket full of gold. 
Although he could easily have secured this 
treasure by stretching out one hand, the young 
huntsman continued the task he had voluntarily 
undertaken, and was soon rewarded by feeling 
a little warmth steal into the slender hand he held 
so firmly. At the same time the girl's sad eyes 
beamed with pleasure, a slight flush stole into 
her pallid cheeks, and looking up at him, she 
joyfully exclaimed, — 

" I see I was not mistaken. You have proved 
trustworthy ; so you may now let go my hand, 
and take that basket as a token of my gratitude." 

The maiden softly drew her hand from his, 
gave him the treasure, and vanished with a 
seraphic smile. 

Since then the White Lady of Haldenstein has 
never been seen by mortals, but the spring over 
which she mounted guard became known far and 
wide for its curative properties. These lasted 
for many a year ; but although the spring still 
flows as clear as ever, it is said to have now lost 
all its healing powers. 

On the way from Coire to Castiel one passes 
the awful Tobel, where a huge dragon once took 
up its abode. Such were the ravages it made in 



Glarus and Grisons 283 

that region that the people of Castiel, Calfriesen, 
and Liien solemnly pledged themselves to pro- 
vide it with a human victim every year on condi- 
tion that the monster left them unmolested the 
rest of the time. 

The dragon in the Castieltobel agreed to this 
arrangement, and the yearly victim was chosen 
by lot from each of the villages in turn. Now 
it came to pass that a tall, muscular stranger soon 
came to settle there with his only daughter, and 
when the lot fell upon her, he boldly declared he 
would accompany her to the monster's den, and 
slay it or perish with her. 

Leading the maiden by one hand, and holding 
his trusty sword tight in the other, the brave man 
advanced cautiously, followed at a safe distance 
by all the people, who wished to witness his 
encounter with the dragon. They did not have 
to wait long, for, ravenous after a whole year's 
fast, the monster rushed eagerly forward to swal- 
low its prey. It had already opened wide its 
capacious jaws, when the desperate father rushed 
toward it, thrust his sharp blade right into its 
throat, and inflicted such a severe wound that 
the dragon expired a moment later. 

Overcome with joy at having saved his be- 
loved daughter, the father now fell on his knees, 
and raising his hands to Heaven, gave solemn 



284 Legends of Switzerland 



thanks for her preservation. While he was in 
that attitude, a drop of dragon-blood fell from 
his sword upon his head, and such was the deadly 
nature of the venom that it instantly killed him. 
The village people were so grateful to him for 
delivering them from this dragon, however, that 
they generously provided for his daughter, and 
erected a church on the very spot where he had 
breathed his last. 

About half-way between Castiel and Davos 
is the village of Arosa, where grows a fine tree 
from beneath whose roots gushes a living spring. 
According to popular superstition^ lucky people 
can find a golden key in the hollow whence this 
water flows from the ground. As soon as se- 
cured, one suddenly perceives a passage-way 
barred by an iron door, which can only be opened 
by means of this golden key. 

A herdsman, who once came to refresh himself 
at this spring, discovered this key by great good 
fortune, and boldly opening the locked door, 
found himself in a vast cave. There a dwarf 
bade him choose between a heap of gold and 
diamonds, which would make him the wealthiest 
man in the country ; a golden cow-bell which 
would assure him the possession of the finest 
cattle for miles around ; or a lovely girl, whose 



Glarus and Grisons 



eyes were fixed imploringly upon him, and who 
softly whispered that he would find true hap- 
piness only with her. 

The young man hesitated, but as he had a 
passion for fine cows, he finally left the cave 
with the golden bell. He felt so weary upon 
leaving this place, however, that he lay down 
to rest a moment near the spring, and soon fell 
asleep. When he awoke, the magic key had 
vanished, and he might have believed the whole 
adventure a mere dream, had not the golden 
bell still lain beside him. 

On returning to his post, he found his herd 
miraculously increased, and all his cows were 
so handsome that his neighbours soon became 
jealous of him, and refused to have anything 
more to do with him. The young herdsman, 
therefore, left alone with his cattle, often re- 
gretted he had not chosen an intelligent com- 
panion to share his solitude ; but although he 
frequently tried to find the golden key again, 
and thus secure the fair maid he had once seen, 
it was all in vain. Within a year from that 
time, he lost all his fine cattle, because he 
brooded continually over his loneliness instead 
of taking care of them, and before long he 
committed suicide by flinging himself down from 
the top of one of the sharp peaks near there. 



286 Legends of Switzerland 

East of Coire and south of the lovely Prati- 
gau, is Davos Platz, so charmingly located near 
the top of a pass, where it is well sheltered 
from the northeast winds- Besides its interest 
as a health resort visited by many noted people, 
and the beautiful scenery and healthful climate, 
this place derives additional charms from its 
legends. On the western slope of the Davos 
Schwartzhorn, for instance, there is a place gen- 
erally known as the Dead Alp. Not a shrub or 
blade of grass is seen there now ; so it offers a 
striking contrast to the many other fine pastures 
in that vicinity. 

In olden days this desolate spot was the finest 
grazing-ground for miles around, for it was then 
thickly covered with heavy grass, and watered 
by springs of the freshest water. At one time the 
land belonged to a rich young dairy maid, who 
came down into the valley one fine Sunday after- 
noon to dance on the village green. She had 
so many partners, and so thoroughly enjoyed 
herself with them, that she did not want to 
go home, although she knew that it was 
time to milk the cows. Duty warned her to 
return ; but the delights of dancing proved so 
tempting that she determined to linger, and 
tried to silence the voice of conscience by 
recklessly cursing both pasture and kine. 



Glarus and Grisons 



287 



This malediction had scarcely left her lips, 
when her fruitful alp was turned into a desert, 
her cows all vanished, and she suddenly found 
herself deprived of all the worldly goods she 
had so little known how to appreciate 1 

Other Davos herdsmen, as pleasure-loving 
as she, once cursed the Icelandic moss or Cy- 
prian herb which was then so rich in milk-pro- 
ducing qualities that they had to milk their 
cows several times a day. No sooner was the 
curse uttered than the luscious herb dried up, 
and ever since then it has been the poorest sort 
of fodder, which no animal will eat as long as 
something else can be found to satisfy its 
hunger. 

Not very far from the Dead Alp, you can 
see, summer and winter, a broad field of snow, 
far below the usual snow-line. This, too, was 
once a luxuriant pasture, where herdsmen were 
kept very busy tending their cows, and making 
butter and cheese from the milk they gave in 
such profusion. 

The owner of this alp was so good and gen- 
erous that the poor were in the habit of going 
up there for food whenever they were hungry, 
and there was much wailing among them when 



288 Legends of Switzerland 

he grew ill and died, and they heard the pasture 
now belonged to an avaricious man. They soon 
found the new proprietor was even worse than 
they expected, for he was very cruel too, and 
drove all beggars away with curses and hard 
blows. 

A poor but numerous family, travelling 
through the country, climbed up these heights 
one cold and foggy day, to beg for the food and 
shelter no one else could have denied them. 
But when they drew near the chalet, cross dogs 
rushed out to meet them, barking, snarling, and 
showing their teeth in the fiercest way. The 
poor people nevertheless made their way to the 
door, where they stood, humble suppliants, while 
the oldest among them described their pitiful 
plight and asked for aid. 

The hard-hearted herdsman would not listen 
to him^ however, roughly bade him begone with 
all his family, and seeing he did not immediately 
obey, called out to his men to drive the beggars 
away. This order was only too promptly 
obeyed. The rough servants rushed out, and 
falling upon the poor family, lashed them with 
their long whips, threw stones at them, and 
laughed with uproarious glee when their fierce 
dogs began to chase the beggars down the 
mountain. 



Glarus and Grisons 



289 



Besides several old people, there were weak 
women and puny little children among these 
poor fugitives ; still these cruel men felt no 
respect for age or sex, and merely urged on 
their dogs worse than ever. Their inhumanity 
proved too much for an old man, who, as he 
tottered last down the path, with torn garments 
and bleeding limbs, suddenly turned around and 
cursed their alp, wishing it might soon be hidden 
beneath a covering of snow that might rest upon 
it for ever. 

That wish was fulfilled the self-same night, 
for huge masses of snow and ice fell down upon 
the pasture, transforming it into a wintry waste, 
which well deserves its name, the Cursed Alp. 
Since then, whenever a storm rages, or when- 
ever fog envelops the mountain, the buried 
herdsmen rise from their shroud of snow, and 
one can again hear them snapping their whips, 
exciting their dogs, and hotly pursuing ghosts 
of beggars whom they are condemned to chase 
for ever in punishment for their sins. 

In the centre of the Grisons arises a reddish 
peak known as the Rothhorn, which towers 
above all the other heights around it, and from 
whence a fine view can be enjoyed. 

It is said that the people of Plurs once ex- 



290 Legends of Switzerland 



ploited the gold mines in this mountain, and 
thus became very rich. All this prosperity was 
not owing to their exertions alone, but due 
mainly to the fact that they had won the good 
graces of the gnomes, who, at noon every day, 
poured a canful of liquid gold down into a vein 
which they could easily reach. 

Unfortunately, the people of Plurs did not 
make a wise use of this wealth, but drank, 
gambled, and led vicious lives. This fact so 
incensed their former friends, the mountain 
spirits, that they slyly loosened great masses of 
stones and dirt, and hurled them down upon the 
city one dark night in 1618. 

Only one of the inhabitants, a pack-driver, 
escaped from general destruction. He had 
arrived in the village late, intending to tarry 
there overnight, but his leading mule refused to 
stop at the inn, and passing on was dutifully 
followed by all the rest, although the driver 
tried to stop them. Three times this man drove 
his train back to the inn, but three times they 
passed by, and the pack-driver had to follow. 

When they had gone some distance from the 
city for the third and last time, the man suddenly 
heard a terrible noise, and, looking behind him, 
witnessed the landslide and the total destruction 
of the once prosperous little city. 



Glarus and Grisons 291 



The Engadine Valley, noted for its bracing 
climate, is rather bleak, for, according to a pop- 
ular saying, it boasts nine months of winter and 
three of cold. 

In the seventh century St. Florinus with one 
disciple came to R^mus, in the northern part of 
this valley, to preach the gospel. Feeling very 
weak and ill one day, the saint bade his faithful 
companion beg some wine at a neighbouring 
castle to restore his failing strength. 

The disciple obeyed, and having secured a 
crockful, slowly wended his way home. He 
soon met a poor woman weeping bitterly, and 
inquiring the cause of her sorrow, learned that 
her husband had been very ill, and that she 
had no money to buy the wine he needed to 
restore his strength. Touched by her tears, 
the disciple poured all he had received into 
the vessel she held, and then went back to the 
castle to beg for more. But the people up 
there, having seen him give the wine to the 
poor woman^ now reproved him harshly, and 
sent him empty-handed away. The disciple 
departed sadly, regretting his generous deed ; 
and, fearing to present himself before his master 
with an empty crock, he filled it with water at a 
wayside spring. As soon as St. Florinus saw 
him standing at his bedside, he reached up 



292 Legends of Switzerland 

eagerly, seized the crock, and took a long deep 
draught. The disciple, who fully expected an 
exclamation of bitter disappointment, was dum- 
founded to hear the saint declare he had never 
tasted such good and strengthening wine ; and, 
when invited to try it also, he discovered that 
the miracle of Cana had been repeated, for the 
Lord had again turned water into wine. This 
transformation took place, as long as the saint 
needed a tonic ; but when he was quite well, the 
crock was found to contain nothing but water 
as before. 

The people of the Engadine valley are very 
simple indeed ; so simple that a legend claims 
they were often cheated, and never could decide 
what it was best to do. A traveller, hearing the 
people of Sils complain, mischievously suggested 
that they ought to buy a little wisdom, and when 
they seriously inquired what it was and where 
it could be procured, he gravely informed them 
that it was a precious herb, purchasable only in 
Venice. 

The people, believing him implicitly, took up 
a collection and sent an emissary to Italy to buy 
the rare plant. After a long painful journey, 
this man came home, having purchased from a 
charlatan the only sprout of the herb of wisdom 



Glarus and Grisons 



293 



still to be had in that city. The people all 
crowded eagerly around their emissary to see 
and admire the wonderful herb, compared it ex- 
haustively with those which grew around them, 
and although they could perceive but little dif- 
ference, planted it carefully on their village green. 
But, while they were indulging in a great jollifi- 
cation to celebrate the advent of wisdom among 
them, an old donkey came straying along, and 
before they could prevent it, ate up the precious 
plant 1 

Since then, the people of Sils have never been 
able to secure another specimen, and it is said 
they still grievously mourn their great loss. 

The scene of the above legend is located in 
the Upper Engadine or Inn Valley, south of 
the much frequented towns of St. Moritz and 
Pontresina. 

From there, you can see the dazzling snow 
top of the Bernina, a high mountain between 
Switzerland and Italy, with a much travelled 
pass leading from the Engadine to the Valteline 
Valley. Journeying from Poschiavo over the 
Bernina, one passes a desolate spot formerly 
occupied by the small town of Zarera. The 
inhabitants of that place are said to have 
taken advantage of their position on the high- 



2 94 Legends of Switzerland 



way between Italy and Switzerland, to extort 
money from all the pack-drivers and trav- 
ellers who passed through there. In fact, they 
enriched themselves by such unlawful and ques- 
tionable means that they finally incurred the 
wrath of Heaven. One night, when the moon 
was partly veiled by shifting clouds, a maiden 
dressed in white rode slowly around their town 
on a snowy palfrey, calling to them to repent 
while it was still time. But this admonition fell 
upon ears that would not hear, and the predicted 
retribution soon came. Dark clouds gathered 
around the top of the mountain, vivid flashes of 
lightning zigzagged through the ever-increasing 
gloom, and soon the rain came down in such 
torrents that rocks and trees were swept down 
the mountain like pebbles and chips. In a few 
minutes the once prosperous town of Zarera 
was completely annihilated, and only the frag- 
ments of ruined houses could still be detected 
here and there. All the people perished in this 
flood, with the exception of a mother and 
daughter^ noted for their piety, who dwelt at 
some distance from the wicked town. 

These two women had been very busy that 
day, doing their semii-annual baking ; for, like 
most of the people around there, they made 
bread only twice a year. In spite of the serious 



Glarus and Grisons 



295 



work on hand, they prayed as long and read 
their Bible as diligently as usual, and even while 
setting the bread to rise, commented reverently 
upon the teachings contained in Our Lord's 
mentions of leaven and flour. 

From time to time one or the other gazed out 
into the garden, where chestnut-trees three 
hundred years old overshadowed their little 
house. The southern exposure and the protec- 
tion afforded by the mountain against the cold 
winds from the north and east, made their peach 
and apricot trees bloom already in February, 
allowed fresh figs to grow close at hand, and 
made their vines as productive as those in the 
Valteline. The two women were very grateful 
for all these blessings, and would have been 
perfectly happy with their lot, had they not 
sorely missed their husband and father, who had 
died three years before. 

While taking the huge loaves of sweet- 
smelling fresh bread out of the oven, they 
thrice heard the melancholy, wailing note of the 
storm bird, but they were so absorbed in their 
occupations that they paid no heed to it, until 
the tempest fairly broke over their heads and 
the rain began to fall with violence. 

All through that awful storm, which wrecked 
the town of Zarera, they knelt in prayer, and 



296 Legends of Switzerland 

when morning came and the downpour ceased, 
they found their garden transformed into a 
stony waste, and all their trees uprooted and 
swept down into the valley. 

In spite of the losses which suddenly deprived 
them of their means of existence, these two 
women returned fervent thanks for their pres- 
ervation, and seeing that their house was now 
unsafe, and that it would be useless to remain 
on the mountain, they picked up their few re- 
maining possessions, and wended their way down 
into the valley. There they soon found shelter, 
and by dint of hard work finally managed to 
retrieve their shattered fortunes ; but, as long as 
they lived, they both remembered the awful 
storm in which they would surely have perished 
had it not been for the hand of God stretched 
out in protection over them. 

Following the Rhine's devious course to- 
ward its source in the St. Gothard mountain, we 
come to the junction of two branches of this 
stream at Disentis.^ Here stands an abbey, 
dating from the seventh century, when its monks 
served as missionaries to the people around them. 

The heathen from the banks of Lake Con- 

1 For other data, see the author's *' Legends of the 
Rhine." 



Glarus and Grisons 297 



stance once made a raid down this valley, and 
visiting every castle, church, convent, and hut, 
destroyed almost everything they could not carry 
away. Laden with booty, they were slowly 
making their way north again, when they were 
surprised at Disentis by the exasperated Swiss. 
The latter there attacked the heathen with such 
fury that all those who were not killed were only 
too glad to seek safety in precipitate flight. 

The brave Swiss were so weary, when the 
battle was over, and so parched with thirst, that 
they longed for a drink. As there was no 
spring near by, and as their extreme exhaustion 
would not permit their going in search of one, 
their venerable old leader made a short but 
fervent prayer, and then thrust his sword into 
the ground up to the very hilt. When he slowly 
drew it out again a moment later, a strong jet 
of water shot straight up into the air, and falling 
down again on the rocky soil, soon formed a 
pool and brook where all could drink. This 
spring still flows as freely as ever, and its limpid 
waters possess medicinal properties which have 
since attracted many visitors to this picturesque 
spot. 

The line between Glarus and Grisons was 
long undetermined, so the shepherds from either 



298 Legends of Swit:(erland 



canton often indulged in raids and cattle-steal- 
ing, which not infrequently resulted in violence 
and bloodshed. 

Once the men of Glarus suddenly came over 
the border, and noiselessly surrounding a large 
pasture, drove away all the cows, after tumbling 
the herdsmen head first into the great kettles 
of boiling milk where they were busy making 
cheese. Only one of these men managed to 
escape death by hiding in the hay. As soon 
as the raiders vanished, he determined to sound 
the alarm. Taking his horn, he therefore 
climbed up into a pine-tree, just above the 
great Flimser Rock, and calling through this 
instrument with all his might, told his beloved 
Trubina, who dwelt on another alp, of the mis- 
fortune which had occurred. The strain was 
such, however, that the unhappy youth burst 
a blood-vessel, and sank dying from the top of 
the tree. His life blood ran in a thin stream 
over the great rock, where it made an indel- 
ible red streak, which can still be seen, and 
which serves to remind people of his heroic 
deed. 

The timely warning he had given enabled 
Trubina to start a party of Grisons herdsmen 
after the cattle, which they followed down the 
mountain to the village of Flims. By careful 



Glarus and Grisons 299 

reconnoitring, they soon ascertained that the 
cows had been turned into an enclosed orchard, 
just beside the inn where the raiders were cele- 
brating their capture in the most convivial way. 

Stealing unseen into this orchard, the Grisons 
men slyly fastened all the cow-bells to one steer, 
which they left in the enclosure, while they noise- 
lessly drove all the rest of the herd home. The 
revellers, hearing the constant tinkle of cow- 
bells, deemed their prizes quite safe, and were 
therefore greatly surprised and chagrined, when 
after their carousal they found only one bull calf 
in the enclosure, and saw how cleverly they had 
been duped. 

On the frontier between Glarus and Uri, and 
not far from the Klausen Pass, where the great 
Boundary Race took place, rises a majestic 
glacier known as the Claridenalp. The people 
around there claim that this mountain was once 
fine pasture-land up to the i^ery top, where a 
small ice-cap served to feed the many streams 
trickling down through the rich alps into the 
valley. 

Most of the grazing on the Claridenalp 
once belonged to a young herdsman, who, al- 
though he revelled in plenty, cruelly let his old 
parents starve in the valley below him. This 



300 Legends of Switzerland 

young man was, however, lavish enough when 
it suited him to be so, for he daily sent rich 
presents to his sweetheart, who, on the whole, 
was as selfish and heartless as he. 

Finding separation from her unendurable, the 
young herdsman finally begged her to come up 
and spend the summer with him in his fine 
chalet, and receiving a favourable answer, imme- 
diately began elaborate preparations for her 
reception. His cows were groomed until they 
shone, and decked with bright ribbons and gar- 
lands of flowers ; his larder stocked with every 
dainty he could secure, and lest his beloved 
should bruise her tender feet against a stone, 
or soil her dainty apparel in walking near the 
chalet, he paved the space all around it with 
fine rich cheeses, thus making a soft and smooth, 
if rather costly floor. 

Meeting his sweetheart part way down the 
mountain, the herdsman joyfully escorted her to 
the chalet, where she duly admired all his ar- 
rangements, and encouraged his extravagance 
by throwing butter into the fire to keep up a 
bright flame. The revelry up in the chalet grew 
more fast and furious hour after hour, and the 
lovers feasted and sang, while the poor parents, 
faint from lack of food, lay shivering on their 
hard pallets down in the valley. 



Glarus and Grisons 



301 



A burst of loud music floating down from the 
mountain finally roused the old father from his 
torpor. Sitting up in bed, he then shook his 
emaciated fist in the direction of the chalet, and 
solemnly cursed his unnatural son. 

That night, an awful storm swept down the 
mountain, and when morning broke, the people 
in the valley saw that the Claridenalp had been 
transformed overnight into the glacier which 
you now see. Pasture and cattle, herdsman 
and sweetheart had all vanished, but the spirits 
of the lovers are said to haunt the site of their 
mad revelry. 

Similar stories, with trifling variations, are 
told of many other snow mountains in Switzer- 
land. The Plan Nev^, for instance, is said to 
have become a waste because a herdsman ill- 
treated his old mother. But the Bliimelisalp, 
once the possession of a rich dairymaid, who 
built a staircase of cheeses from valley to chalet 
so she could more easily trip down to the weekly 
dances, was transformed into the present glacier, 
because she cruelly gave an aged beggar a drink 
of milk in which she maliciously stirred some 
rennet. The milk, turning suddenly into a hard 
lump of cheese in the poor woman's stomach, 
caused her such intolerable suff'ering that she 
cursed the cruel giver. 



302 Legends of Swit:{erland 

Since then, the alp, once thickly strewn with 
the many delicate Alpine flowers which gave it 
its name, has been almost inaccessible. But 
countless mortals constantly admire it from a 
distance, and breathlessly watch it flush at sun- 
set, or glitter in all its icy splendour beneath the 
silvery rays of the full moon. 

Helvetia boasts of many other legends con- 
nected with nearly every part of her soil ; but as 
they are mostly repetitions of those already 
quoted they are purposely omitted here. The 
samples of Swiss folklore already supplied will 
enable travellers to gain some idea of the old- 
time village tales which have cast their glamour 
over " the playground of Europe." These crude 
yet often poetical imaginings lend additional 
charms to scenery which rises before our 
mental vision whenever we hear or see the 
magic word " Switzerland." 



Index 



Aare, io6, 120, 127, 140, 144, 

167, 170. 

Aargau, 158-175. 
Aa Valley, 221. 
Aawasser, 226. 
Abbey, 153, 243, 280, 296. 
Adalbert, 278-280. 
iEgeri, Lake of, 193-194. 
Agnes of Hapsburg, 193. 
Ahasuerus, 126-131. 
Aigle, 33-36. 

Aix-la-Chapelle, 179, 251, 252. 
Albert of Hapsburg, 192-193. 
Alemania, 168. 
Alemans, 170, 242. 
AUobroges, 4. 
All Saints, 244. 
Alois, 213-214. 
Alphorn, 124-126, 278, 298. 
Alpine flowers, 41, 136, 231, 
302. 

Alp of Little Flowers, 136, 302. 
Alps, 55, 106, 128, 138, 140, 

143, 170, 196, 276. 
Alsacia, 168. 
Altenburg, 168-169. 
Altorf, 175, 186-187, 189, 191, 

229-230, 231, 254-257. 
Angfls' Mountain, 222. 
Appenzell, 274-280. 
Archbishop of Canterbury, 276. 
Arnold von Melchthal, 182, 183. 
Arnold von Winkelried, 195- 

196. 

Arosa, 284-285. 
Arth, 215, 219, 261. 
Artus, 27. 



Attinghausen, 224. 
Aucenda, 49. 
Austria, 167, 179, 196. 
Austrian, 182, 186, 194, 195, 

196, 213. 
Axenberg, 189. 
Axenstein, 189. 

Babes in the Woods, 158. 
Baden, 160-161. 
Baldern, 252, 
Balisalp, 123-124. 
Balme, Grotto of, 41. 
Basel, 97, 99, 147-157- 
Beatenberg, 107-112. 
Beatus, St., 107-112. 
Beatushohle, 108. 
Bellinzona, 238-241. 
Benedictine Abbey, 153, 243. 
Bergy, Wilhelmine of, 82-85. 
Bern, 59, 97-139, 221, 276. 
Bern, Dietrich of, 102. 
Bernese, 57. 
Bernese Alps, 106. 
Bernese Oberland, 102. 
Bernina, 293-296. 
Berra, 14. 

Bertha, Queen, 21-24. 
Berthold V. of Zahringen, 102- 
104. 

Bertram, 101-102. 

Birrfeld, 170. 

Bishop of Basel, 97, 174. 

Bishop of Mayence, 179. 

Bishop Werner, 1 71-173. 

Black Art, 203, 224. 

Blanc, Mt., i, 10, 23, 76, 143. 



304 



Index 



Blonay, 27. 

Bliimelisalp, 136, 301-302. 
Bohemia, 180. 

Boundary Race, 229-230, 299, 
Bran do If of Stein, 57-68. 
Brienz, 123. 

Brienz, Lake of, 106, 120, 122. 
Broken Mountain, 196. 
Brugg, 158-160. 
Briindlisalp, 210, 214. 
Brune, General, 103. 
Bubenberg, Von, 103-104. 
Bull's Stream, 226. 
Burgdorf, 101-102. 
Burglauenen, 131. 
Biirglen, 185, 190, 192. 
Burgundian 4, 57-68, 104. 
Burgundy, 21, 82, 113. 
Burkhard of Landskron, 149- 
150. 

CiESAR, 4. 

Calanda, 281. 

Calfriesen, 283. 

Caligula, 199-200. 

Capped Mountain, 197. 

Capuchin, 231-232. 

Carinthia, 180. 

Castiel, 282-284. 

Castieltobel, 283. 

Castle in the Water, 272-273. 

Cerlier, 97-99. 

Chamounix, 41. 

Champey, Lake of , 51. 

Charlemagne, 147, 248-252, 254, 

270-271, 276. 
Charles the Bold, 57-68. 
Chateau d'Oex, 14. 
Chatelard, 27. 
Chaulin, 29-31. 
Chaumont, 79. 

Chaux-de-Fonds, la, 82, 87, 89, 
92. 

Choristers' House, 248-249. 
Christ, 4, 108, 126, 147, 198, 
200, 206, 266, 292, 295. 



Christian, 4, 5, 39, 40, 71, 109, 

113, 248. 
Christianity, 39, 197. 
Christopher, St., 104-105. 
Chur, 281. 
Clarens, 28-31. 
Clemence, 164-165. 
Coffrane, 80. 
Coire, 281, 282, 286. 
Col de Jaman, 31-32. 
Colombettes, 77. 
Colombiers, 80. 
Confederation, 194. 
Conrad, 196, 222. 
Constance, 271. 

Constance, Lake of, 270, 296- 
297. 

Constantius Clorus, 170. 
Conthey, 46-52. 
Corbassiere, 51. 
Crusades, 71. 
Cursed Alp, 289. 
Cyprian Herb, 287. 



David, 105. 

Davos, 284, 286. 

Davos Platz, 286-289. 

Davos Schwartzhorn, 286-287. 

Dead Alp, 286-287. 

Death, 194. 

Dent de Jaman, 31. 

Dent du Midi, 76. 

Devil, III, 140-143, 232,234- 

237, 266, 277-278. 
Devil's Bridge, 232-237. 
Devil's Stone, 237. 
Diablerets, 39-41, 42, 76. 
Dietrich of Bern, 102. 
Diocletian, 70. 
Disentis, 296-297. 
Dominican Grotto, 210-211. 
Dominikhohle, 210-211. 
Dragonstone, 210. 
Droz, Jacques, 87-89. 
Duin, 13. 



Index 



305 



ElGER, 135. 

Einheer, 271. 

Einigen, 109-112, 116, 117. 

Einsiedlen, 72, 266-269. 

Ekkehart, 276. 

Elizabeth of Stein, 61-68. 

Engadine Valley, 291-296. 

Engelberg, 221-223. 

Engelbrechtsthor, 245. 

ErlacK, 97-99- 

Erlach, Rudolf von, 104. 

Ermance, 24-27. 

Esau, 23. 

Ettingen, 151. 

Evil One, 141-143, 232, 237, 

Falls of th| Rhine, 242-244. 
Faulhorn, 131. 
Felix, St., 248. 
Fenetta, 43-46. 
Fletschalp, 55. 
Fletschhorn, 52-55. 
Fliras, 298-299. 
Flimser Rock, 298. 
Florinus, St., 291-292. 
Fluhlen, 188-189. 
Fohn, 227. 

Forest Cantons (Lucerne, Uri, 
Schwyz, Unterwald), 1 76- 
237- 

Fracmont, 196. 

France, 113. 

Frastrada, 250, 

Frauenfeld, 254, 273, 

Frauenmiinster, 252. 

French, 120. 

Fribourg, 14, 31, 69-78, 102, 
233- 

Frickthal, 155-157. 
Frohburg, 143-145. 
Furka Pass, 56, 224. 
Fiirstenstein, 1 51-153. 
Furst, Walter, 182, 183, 185. 

Gabriel, St., 116, 122. 
Gargantua, 10-14. 



Garganum, 114. 

Gaul, 201. 

General Brune, 103. 

Geneva, 1-5, 12, 

Geneva, Lake of, 1-5, 12, 28, 

3i> 32, 76. 
Germany, 179, 276. 
Gessler, 1 86-1 91. 
Gex, 49. 
Gezard, 82. 
Gibloux, 14. 
Gideon, 143. 
Gidi, 132. 
Gidisdorf, 132. 
Giessbach, 122. 
Glarnisch, 254. 

Glarus, 228-231, 254, 276, 281- 
302. 

Gliicksalp, 277. 
Goeschenen, 232, 233, 236. 
Golden Age, 8-10, 22, 131-132. 
Goliath, 105. 

Gothard, St., 224, 231, 232 

233, 296. 
Gram Angels, 158. 
Grandson, 56-68. 
Grimmenstein, 99-100. 
Grimoald, 24-27. 
Grimsel, 126-131, 
Grindelwald, 131-132, 133, 135 
Grisons, 281-302. 
Grotte de Balme, 41. 
Gruerius, 70. 
GrutU, 183, 186. 
Gruyere, 70-76. 
Guelfs, 254-257, 
Giippe, 202-204. 
Giittingen, 271-273. 

Habichtsburg, 171, 173. 
Habsburg, 173. 
Hadrian, 113. 
Haldenstein, 2S1-282. 
Hallwyl, 162-167. 
Hallwyl, Lake of, 162. 
Hans, 73-75. 



20 



3o6 



Index 



Hapsburg, Rudolf von, 104, 

173, 176-180. 
Hapsburg Castle, 104, 167-175, 

180, 186, 192, 193. 
Hasli Scheidegg, 133. 
Hat Fiend, 237. 
Hauenstein, 143. 
Hawk's Castle, 171. 
Heiterloch, 135. 
Helvetia, 168, 180, 302. 
Henry of Rapperswyl, 162. 
Herod, 202. 
Hiltiboldus, 274-275. 
Hohenstauffens, 175. 
HohenstoUen, 123-125. 
Hohe Rhonen, 265-266. 
Hohle Gasse, 190. 
Hole of Uri, 233. 
Hollow Way, 190. 
Holy Land, 71, 163, 246. 
Holy Sepulchre, 142, 163. 
House of Austria, 181. 
Huchees, 7. 
Hut Schelm, 237. 

Icelandic moss, 287. 
Illiez Valley, 13. 
Im Fehlen, 277. 
Immensee, 190 
Inn Valley, 293-296. 
In Sin, 277. 

Interlaken, 106, 120, 131, 135, 
138. 

Irmentrude, 254. 
Iseltwald, 120-122. 
Italy, 55, 131, 233, 292. 
Ivy Snake, 48. 

Jacob, 23. 
Jacob, St., I49--I5I. 
aman, 31-32. 
ames of Romont, 57-68. 
Jardin des Plantes, 103. 
Jesus Christ, 198. 
Jew, The Wandering, 126-131. 
Jodels, 7. 



John of Hapsburg, 180, 192. 
John of Hallwyl, 163-167. 
Joliette, 28-31. 
Jungfrau, 136, 
Jura, 76, 79, 82, 144, 151. 
Justus, 110-112. 

Kastelnalp, 212-214, 
Kerzerz, 106. 
King Herod, 202. 
King John, 276. 
Kisher, 270-271. 
Klausen Pass, 228-231, 299. 
Konigsfelden, 193. 
Kriemhild, 253-254. 
Kuhreihen, 76, 124-125. 
Kiissnacht, 190. 
Kyburg, 254-260, 273. 
Kyburg Castle, 257. 

La. Chaux-de-Fonds, 82, 87, 

89, 92. 

Lady of Haldenstein, 281-282. 
Lady of Munot, 246-247. 
Lake of iEgeri, 193-194. 
Lake of Brienz, 106, 120, 122. 
Lake of Champey, 51. 
Lake of Constance, 270, 276, 

296-297, 
Lake of Geneva, 1-5, 12, 28, 31, 

32, 76. 
Lake of Hallwyl, 162. 
Lake Leman, i, 2. 
Lake of Lowertz, 218-221. 
Lake of Lucerne, 176, 183, 189, 

190, 226, 261. 
Lake of Neuchatel, 56. 
Lake of Sempach, 195. 
Lake of Thun, 106, 107, 114, 

118, 120, 131, 261. 
Lake of Turl, 253-254. 
Lake of Zug, 261-264. 
Lake of Ziirich, 248. 
Lallenkonig, 148-149. 
Landskron, 149-151. 
La Sarraz, 18-21, 27. 



Index 



307 



La Soye, 49 

Laupen, 104. 

Lausanne, 18, 201. 

Lauterbrunnen, 117, 138. 

Le Locle, 82, 87, 89. 

Leman, Lake, i, 2. 

Lenzbiirg, loi, 162. 

Leodegarius, St., 209. 

Leak, 50. 

Limmat, 170. 

Linth Valley, 229, 230. 

Locle, Le, 82, 87, 89. 

Lombardy, 24, 115. 

Lorraine, 103. 

Louis IL, 252, 257. 

Louis IX., 151. 

Lowertz, Lake of, 218-221. 

Lucerne, 72, 162, 178, 183, 189, 

190, 195, 196, 205, 207, 209, 

226. 

Lucerne, Lake of, 176, 183, 189, 

190, 226. 
Luck Ship, 1-3. 
Lucky Alp, 277. 
Liien, 203. 
Liitchine, 131. 

Magadino, 238-241. 

Magdalen, 212-214. 

Margaret, St., 102. 

Margaret of Gruyere, 72-76. 

Maria im Stein, 152. 

Mariastein, 153. 

Maria Stella, 162. 

Marie Madeleine, Ste., 4-5. 

Martin, St., 135-136. 

Martinsloch, 135. 

Maurice, St., 40, 48. 

Mayence, 179. 

Meer Stern, 162. 

Meinrad, 266-269. 

Meiringen, 123, 126, 133, 278. 

Merligen, 118-120. 

Mettenberg, 135. 

Michael, St., 113-1 17, 118. 

Midi, Dent du, 76. 



Moleson, 70, 76-78. 

Monk's Leap, 232. 

Mons Fractus, 196. 

Mons Pileatus, 197-198. 

Mont Blanc, i, 10, 23, 76, 143. 

Monte Rosa, lo. 

Monthey, 13, 47. 

Montreux, 28, 31. 

Morat, 68, 69. 

Morgarten, 193-194. 

Morge, 233. 

Moritz, St., 293. 

Moses, 143. 

Mount Pilatus, 196, 205, 206, 

207-214. 
Miihlenthal, 246. 
Miillinen, 164-166. 
Munot, 245-247. 
Muri, 160. 
Murren, 138, 139. 
Mythenstein, 183. 

Nancy, 68. 

Nero, 49, 50. 

Neuchatel, 79-96. 

Neuchatel, Lake of, 56, 81,86- 

87, 79-96. 
Neu Hapsburg, 176-179. 
Niebelungenlied, 276. 
Niesen, 106. 
Novarre, 103. 
Noville, 42-46. 

Oberhofen, T12. 
Oberland, 102, 131. 
Odin, ICQ. 
Oex, Chateau d', 14. 
Oldenhorn, 42. 
Olten, 143, 144. 
Orbe, 15. 

Ormond, 33-36, 153. 
Our Lady of Lucerke, 72. 

Palestine, 71. 
Paradise, 110. 



3o8 



Index 



Paris, 90, 91, 92, 93, 103. 
Patho, 14. 
Payerne, 22. 
Pestalozzi, loi, 170. 
Pfafers, 278-280. 
Pfaffensprung, 232. 
Pilate, Pontius, 198-205, 206, 
207. 

Pirminius, St., 27S, 2S0. 
Plan Neve, 48, 50, 301. 
Plurs, 289-290. 
Pontarlier, 93-96. 
Pont-la-Ville, 14, 233. 
Pontius Pilate, 198-205, 206, 
207. 

Pontresina, 293. 
Poschiavo, 293. 
Procla, 198. 

Radbod of Altenburg, 169-173. 
Ragatz, 278. 
Raining Rock, 28-31. 
Ralligen, 11 7-1 18. 
Ralligenstock, 117-118. 
Ramflue, 176-177. 
Randenberg, 244-245. 
Ranz des Vaches, 76, 124-125. 
Raphael, St., 116. 
Rapperswyl, 162. 
Raymond, 25-27. 
Red Snow, 55. 
Red Valley, 136. 
Regula, St., 248. 
Reichenau, 273. 
Reichenbach, 123. 
Remus, 291-292. 
Rene of Lorraine, 103. 
Res, 123-125. 

Reuss, 170, 192, 232, 233, 236, 

237- 
Rheinau, 243. 
Rhine, 147, 242-244, 296. 
Rhone, 12, 14,39-40,42-46, 50, 

126, 127, 201, 206. 
Rhone Glacier, 126. 
Richard, D. J., 87. 



Richensee, 196. 
Rigi, 214-218, 261. 
Rigi-Kaltbad, 215-218. 
Rochefort, 86. 
Roll, 117-118, 131, 261. 
Rollin of Vallengin, 79-81. 
Romainmotier, 15-18. 
Roman, 4, 147, 170, 193, 199, 

200, 201, 248. 
Romanshorn, 271. 
Rome, 107, 199, 278. 
Romont, 57-68, 70. 
Rosa, Monte, 10. 
Rossberg, 261. 
Rossini, 181. 
Rothberg, 151-153, 
Rothenthal, 136, 137, 138. 
Rothhorn, 289-290. 
Rudolf von Erlach, 104. 
Rudolf von Hapsburg, 104, 173- 

180, 181. 
Ruthenzug, 160. 
Riitli, 183, 185. 
Ruz, Varde, 79-81. 

Saint Felix, 284. 
St. FJorinus, 291-292. 
St. Gabriel, 116, 122. 
St. Gall, 274-280. 
St. Gallus, 274-276. 
St. Gothard, 224, 231, 232, 233, 
296. 

St. Jacob, 149-151. 

St. Leodegarius, 209. 

St. Margaret, 102. 

St. Marie Madeleine, 4-5. 

St. Martin, 135-136. 

St. Maurice, 40, 48. 

St. Michael, 113-117, 218. 

St. Moritz, 293. 

St. Pirminius, 278, 280. 

St. Raphael, 116. 

St. Regula, 248. 

St. Triphon, 13. 

St. Verena, 140-143, 160, 254. 

Salamanca, 203, 204, 206, 254. 



Index 



Sal^ve, 12. 

Sarine, 14, 70, 76, 233. 
Sarraz, La, 18-21, 27. 
Satan, 14, 39, 40, 51, 99, 108, 

109, no. III, 112, 116, 117, 

149, 224, 235, 237. 
Sausbach, 139. 
Savoy, I. 

Scandinavian, 107. 
Scex que Plliau, 28. 
Schachen, 191. 
Schaffhausen, 242-247. 
Sclneffel, Von, 276. 
Scheidegg, 132, 133, 
Schiller, 15, 36, 179, 181, 190. 
Schinznach, 167. 
Schnabelberg, 253. 
Schoellenen, 232. 
Schreckhorn, 133-135. 
Schwanau, 215, 216, 218, 219, 
220. 

Schwarzhorn, 286-287. 

Schwesternborn, 218. 

Schwyz, 175, 181, 182, 191, 

265, 266-269. 
Seealp, 12^,-125. 
Seeheim, -V3« 

Seelisberg, 183, 184, 227-228. 

Saldenbiiren, Conrad of, 222. 

Sempach, 195-196. 

Sentis, 143, 276-278. 

Seyon, 79. 

Siedelhorn, 131. 

Sils, 292, 293. 

Simplon, 52. 

Sintrara, 1 01-102. 

Sion, 49-50. 

Snow Eyes, 135. 

Soleure, 140-143. 

Soye, La, 49. 

Spain, 87. 

Spalen, 148, 

Spalenberg, 148. 

Spalenthor, 148. 

Spiez, 112, 117. 

Spirit of the Alps, 36. 



Spirit of Evil, 235. 
Spirit of the Mountain, 53. 
Spirit of the Winds, 2. 
Stanz, 195, 221. 
Star of the Sea, 162. 
Staubbach, 138. 
Stauffacher, 182, 183. 
Steersbrook, 226. 
Stein, Brandolf von, 57-68. 
Stein Castle, 160. 
Strattlingen, 11 2-1 17. 
Styria, 180. 
Sulgen, Count of, 266. 
Siirenenalp, 221, 223-226. 
Surenen Pass, 223. 
Swiss Sleepers, 185. 
Swiss Confederation, 104, 
181. 

Tamina, 278-2S0. 

Tell chapels, 185, 1S9, 190. 

Tellsplatte, 189. 

Tell, William, 181, 185, 

191, 192. 
Tessin, 23S-241. 
Thebaid, 70. 

Theodore Weinzapfli, 106. 
Three Finger Stone, 266. 
Three Marys, 160-161. 
Three Tells, 184-185. 
Thun, 106. 

Thun, Lake of, 106, 107, 

118, 120, 131. 
Thurgau, 270-273. 
Tiber, 200-201. 
Tiberius, 199. 
Titlis, 76, 221. 
Tobel, 282-283. 
Treves, 140. 
Triphon, St., 13. 
Trubina, 298-299. 
Turicum, 248. 
Tiirl, Lake of, 253-254. 
Tiirlersee, 253-254. 
Turpin, 251. 
Tyrolean Mts., 276. 



Index 



Uetliberg, 174-175. 
Unterwald, 175, iSi, 182, 191, 

195, 196. 
Upper Engadine, 293-296. 
Upper Grindelwald Glacier, 

133- 

Uri, 175, 180,181, 182, 185, 186, 
191, 221, 224, 226, 228-231, 
233. 237, 299. 

Urner Loch, 233. 

Valais, 6-68, 136, 233. 
Val de Ruz, 79-81 . 
Vallengin, 79-81, 82. 
Vallorbes, 15, 18. 
Valteline Valley, 293-296. 
Vaud, 6-68. 
Vauxtravers, 80. 
Venice, 292. 

Verena, St., 140-143, 160, 254. 

Verenathal, 140-143. 

Verona, 102. 

Viege, 47. 

Vienna, 201, 206. 

Vindonissa. 170, 193. 

Virgin, 15,' 72, 73, 152, 153, 

208, 218, 266-269. 
Vreneli's Garden, 254. 
Vufflens, 23-27. 

Waldenburg, 153-155. 
Walter of Rochefort, 86. 
Walter Fiirst, 182, 1S3, 185. 



Wanderer, 162. 
Wandering Jew, 126-131. 
Wasserburg, 272-273. 
Wasserkirche, 252. 
Wasserthurm, 196. 
Weinzapfli, Theodore, 106. 
Welfs, 254-257. 
Wengernalp, 125-126. 
Werner, 171-173. 
Werner Stauffacher, 182, 183, 
Werner von Strattlingen, 114- 
117. 

Wetterhorn, 131, 133. 
Wettingen, 161-162. 
Wild Huntsman, 100. 
Wilhelmine of Bergy, 82-85. 
William Tell, 181 -192. 
Winterthur, 254. 
Wohlen, 169. 
Woods, Babes in the, 158. 
Wotan, 39-40. 
Wiilpelsberg, 167-173. 
Wynigen, 10 r. 

Z."hringen, 102-104. 
Zarera, 293-296. 
Zauchet, 50. 
Zermatt, 50-51. 
Zug, 261-269. 
Zug, Lake of, 261-269. 
Ziirich, 174,248-260, 265, 268- 
269. 

Ziirich, Lake of, 248. 



I 



'Nov 14 1899 



